The Council on Black Minnesotans Invites You to Attend A Community Issues Forum

Topic: Economic Development & Poverty Issues Impacting Black Minnesotans

Location: Hallie Q. Brown/MLK Community Center – 270 Kent, St. Paul, Minnesota October 14, 2008 – 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Mission:  Since 1980 the Council on Black Minnesotans has been charged by the Minnesota State Legislature to advise the Governor and his administration, the Legislature, the Judiciary and other policy makers at all levels on issues impacting Minnesotans of African Heritage.

In response to this charge, the Council is presenting a series of Community Issues Forums that will focus on such issues as disparities and disproportionalities in the Minnesota Criminal Justice, Health, and Education, Economic and Children and Family systems. The first forum, held in August, was on Criminal Justice Issues. The Health forum was the second forum we sponsored. And, the third forum, on Economic Development Issues, is scheduled to be held on October 14, 2008, at MLK/Hallie Q. Brown Center in St. Paul (270 Kent Street).Please put this date on your calendar and Come and Participate.

Purpose of Forums:  The Council is committed to creating, identifying, analyzing and disseminating policy oriented information essential to advancing people of African descent toward equity. More specifically, the Council will sponsor about four community issues forums. Through the use of dialogue and discussion, it is anticipated that these forums will educate residents of our communities, community policy makers, professionals, the CBM Board members and staff in our efforts to create and promote a Black Legislative/Policy agenda for 2009 and future years. It is also anticipated that greater collaboration will be promoted among key stakeholders through this process.

Forum Format:   All community forums will have a similar format and rules of conduct:

•        “Respect for all” will be the guiding philosophy for forum’s activities.

•        “Rules of the game” will be explained by the facilitator.

•        Appointment of a note taker – to capture the discussion and questions.

•        Issue Presenters will provide an overview of the issue(s) and will have from five to ten minutes present their position/observations.

•        After all presenters have made their presentations, a twenty (20) minute question and answer period will occur. Questions should be brief and to the point and be related to the presenter’s statements. Three by five cards might be used to solicit questions from the audience. Please, no speeches.

•        Community Responses/Input/Discussion on their specific issue(s). Community participants will be allowed up to two minutes each to introduce an issue/solution. (Up to a maximum of twenty (20) minutes). Speakers are limited to one presentation, depending on available time and participation level. Please be brief and to the point.

•        Evaluation/questionnaire. All program participants will be requested to complete a Forum Evaluation which will be handed out at beginning of forum. On this form, they will also be asked to identify, in priority order, their perception of the three most important issues facing Black Minnesotans and the three issues that they would like to see addressed in the Council’s Legislative/Policy Agenda for 2009 and Future Years.

The Twin Cities Best 1st of the Month Networking Event - Vive Now!

Poor No More on Minneapolis Television Network (MTN) Channel 17

Our Mission

To connect people through a world-class communication platform; to change the lives of our global market by developing strong leaders while providing a vehicle for unlimited prosperity. A million men and women dedicated countless hours into the development of keeping people out of the poor house. Only those that dare to step into the world of how to, teach me and show me the way and to do whatever it takes attitude are the ones that will truly become Poor No More…

How can we get American people to save money, spend less money and bring more money into the household is the hot topic. My answer is by treating the situation as an addition that faces us on a day to day basis.

 

A lot of people have a problem saving money. I believe that there is an illness attached to spending and why we can’t resist, which explains why we can’t save money, nor spend thrifty and live within our means.

Poor No More initiative has joined others to change the mind set of Americans regarding money management. We have taken the steps to educate, inform and support Americans looking to overcome the personal and business financial stain. Through informational workshops, Television talk shows, community outreach and group discussions we hope will help to start people on the right path no matter what their financial situation may be. High cost of food, gas, health care etc. poor people it’s time for change become educated of what your options are through the efforts of Poor no More. Visit our website at www.poornomore2008.com.

The show, Poor no More is hosted by longtime Twin Cities Economic Activist Mr. Donald Jackson.  You can watch this programming on Minneapolis Television Networks (MTN www.mtn.org) Channel 17 at the following times: Tuesday 7/29/08 at 5:30 p.m., Saturday 8/2/08 at 7:30 a.m., Friday 8/5/08 at 9:30 p.m., Monday 8/11/08 at 9:00 a.m., for more information call Donald Jackson at 763-300-1176

Blue Business Racism on Pluto (A Science Fiction Story, close to Home)

The planet Pluto has been plagued by “same-race business racism”.  Local established Blue business owners are not being used for soft services, with comments that their prices are too high, or I can do this better myself – as we all know, that’s never the case.  The facts are local Blue residents are the poorest group of aliens on the planet and some of them own restaurants, spaceship repair shops and tech stands across the universe but their own race of people (Blue people) don’t consider them for work unless they have Purple bosses.  The Purple business population does not have to qualify themselves when they do business with the Blue people in the community that hold positions like executive directors and presidents of local space companies and organizations, the Blue “muck-mucks” feel comfortable with the Purple’s simply because they are Purple.

Recently, a group of Blue financial services professionals came to Pluto and paid no attention to the local Blue community going as far as to exclude them from the big party, this is an ongoing issue that falls under the saying “all inclusive with exclusions.” There was an effort to address raising “space dock” crime in Blue youth ages 18-34, so the local Purple government started the “Blue Boys Better Battalion” to address issues and start work programs that will help create education, wealth and independence. What happened with the BBBB is they became a glorified referral service and did nothing but send Blue youth to some other planet where they were put in jail or sent to the Universal Ring of Nothingness (URN), to live out life with no chances of developing the greatness in them, dying or being used as batteries by the Borg.

Before I close there was one more example of Blue Racism.  The Healthiest Man in the Universe came to Pluto to talk about space travel and the effects of worm holes on the human body.  The local SMF (Space Medical Facility) decided that they were not going to give this person a day to talk to the Blue people, because he was more interesting then the folks at the SMF.

All fun aside some of our people need a wakeup call.

It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You!

Fly with the Eagles!