Posted by Deb on October 31, 2009
Excerpt: The soft-spoken Masanari Kawahara knows it takes a special talent to convince an audience that a puppet is more than just a hodgepodge of paper, paste and paint. “As a puppeteer,” he says, “my job is to make this object come to life.”
Read more here.
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Posted by Deb on August 16, 2009
Excerpt: Art. The word is used to describe anything from a rare Rembrandt to a cork-covered car. It is casually bantered around in Western society; however, the word is not spoken in traditional Hmong culture. Why? Because, in the Hmong language, there is no word for art.
Click on link to read the article.
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/08/10/“no-word-art”-highlights-richness-hmong-art.html
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Posted by Deb on August 5, 2009
Excerpt: From raffles and root beer floats to solidarity and foreclosures, National Night Out block parties – official and unofficial – brought lots of people together across the Twin Cities. Here are some of their stories and photos. If you’d like to add your block’s story or photo, email editor@tcdailyplanet.net. And check back through the day as we add more stories and photos.
Read more & see slideshow here.
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Posted by Deb on August 3, 2009
Excerpt: If you flew a hot air balloon over the metro area on Tuesday August 4, you would see the same image repeated over and over—children playing safely on barricaded streets … adults grilling hot dogs or relaxing in lawn chairs … tables covered with a plethora of delicious foods … and lively music playing for all to enjoy. Yes, to most onlookers, these celebrations might appear to be the same. Close observers would see one distinct difference: some events are National Night Out celebrations while others are Night to Unite.
Read the entire article at the link below.
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Posted by Deb on July 22, 2009
When Hud Bannen (Paul Newman) tells his father Homer (Melvyn Douglas) they should sell their potentially disease-ridden cattle to some naïve out-of-town buyer, Homer looks at him and said, “You are an unprincipled man.” I said to myself, you got that right!
The 1963 movie Hud is one of four films the Walker Art Center is showing in Loring Park as part of Summer Music and Movies: Newman Rocks. The movie takes place in a small cattle-ranching town in Texas. The plot revolves around the strained relationship of the three Bannen men—Hud, Homer, and Hud’s impressionable teenage nephew Lon (Brandon De Wilde). Temperatures reach a boiling point when the unprincipled Hud crosses the line with the family’s sultry housekeeper Alma (Patricia Neal).
To read the entire review and see the movie trailer click on the link below.
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/07/21/movies-paul-newmans-convincingly-loathsome-hud.html
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Posted by Deb on July 16, 2009
Excerpt: Rondo Avenue Inc. and Major Taylor Bicycling Club will co-sponsor a Family Fun Ride on Saturday July 18, as part of the annual Rondo Days celebration. It is one of many activities certain to draw thousands of Twin City families to the largest African American festival in Saint Paul.
Click on the link below to read more:
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Posted by Deb on July 9, 2009
Excerpt: Sitting behind the reception desk at the International Institute of Minnesota (IIM), Hibo Khalaf displays both poise and professionalism. However, it was not too long ago she stood on the other side of the desk. When her family first arrived here as refugees five years ago, they needed IIM to help with their adjustment to American life. Now as Independence Day looms, Khalaf feels a stronger connection to her adopted homeland. Any day now, she will be sworn in as a US citizen.
Follow the link to read more:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/07/02/hibo-khalaf-citizen-waiting-july-4.html
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Posted by Deb on April 23, 2009
Excerpt: On the day MayKao Hang married, her father told her she was no longer part of their [the Yang] clan. She now belonged to the Hang clan—her husband’s clan. She recalls her father saying, your mother’s womb is what you borrowed. Then he told Hang that her new mother-in-law was now her mother. Hang remembers his words made her cry.
Read the entire article here http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/04/22/mn-voices-maykao-hang-talks-about-hmong-culture-clans-and-women.html
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Posted by Deb on April 9, 2009
This article was published by the Twin Cities Daily Planet on April 7, 2009
Excerpt: At their current pace, the InVocation singers are on track to have their most financially successful season. So, what will they do with all that money? Donate it to charity…what else?
To read the entire aticle click on the link below.
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Posted by Deb on March 18, 2009
On March 15 (Day of Irish Dance) and March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day), all the Irish dance schools in the Twin Cities performed at Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Here is a clip of my group’s performance. I am far more relaxed than the February performance…and it shows.
Day of Irish Dance
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Posted by Deb on March 3, 2009
My article was republished by Insight News. Pretty exciting!
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Posted by Deb on February 14, 2009
“On opening night, I thought I was going to be nervous, said Amani Ward. “But as soon as the lights came up, I wasn’t nervous anymore.”
At age ten, Ward already displays a level of self-confidence equal to other members of the esteemed Carter family. Following in the footsteps of grandmother Toni Carter and uncle Melvin Carter III and other family members, this Crossroads Elementary fourth-grader is showing she, too, has acting talent. This week she opened portraying the lead role in Steppingstone Theatre’s latest production Ruby! The Story of Ruby Bridges.
More of this story is published on the Twin Cities Daily Planet website click here.
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Posted by Deb on January 29, 2009
“Mom, is it okay if I play dress up?”
From the time he could talk, my son has always had an active imagination, replete with several imaginary friends to keep him company. That hadn’t changed just because Jaden was in third grade. If anything, it had become more elaborate.
“What did you want to wear?”
He pointed to a navy blue suit hanging in his closet, his First Communion suit. We were saving it for another special occasion such as a wedding or—God forbid—a funeral; however, for nearly a year it had sat in his closet gathering dust. In all likelihood, he would outgrow it before he would wear it again. Still, I hated the idea of it getting dirty or stained.
“Why do you want to wear your suit?” I asked.
“I want to dress like Barack Obama.”
Without hesitation, I told him he could wear his suit. A smile radiated across my face when I looked at him in the suit because he really did looked like a pint-sized Barack Obama (with curlier hair).
Three days earlier was the big day—Inauguration Day. I wanted to go to DC. I wanted my face to be part of that sea of smiling faces. I wanted to take my eight-year-old son so together we could witness history. Yes, I had hoped to be there. However, the idea quickly lost its appeal once I realized we would travel over 1000 miles (by bus) just to stand outside in the shivering cold for hours, between a jumbotron and a row of port-a-potties.
I opted instead for a more rational way to mark the occasion. First, I kept my son home from school on that day—his first missed day all school year. Together we went to the Riverview Theater in south Minneapolis. After standing outside for 45 minutes in temperatures similar to our nation’s capital, we joined 700 other people inside to watch the Inauguration on the big screen. Jaden sat in the seat with his eyes transfixed on the movie screen while eating real-buttered popcorn. He cheered when the Obama family came on camera and gave a standing ovation when Barack took the oath. When we left I felt like we were just as much a part of history as anyone in the DC crowd.
At the time, I had hoped I was creating a lasting memory for my son, a story he would share with his children someday. Now three days later, I could see I had achieved far more. The simple act of wanting to dress up in a suit told me he now aspired someday to be president, like Barack Obama.
Later that same day, my son’s friend came over to play. Jaden again wanted to be the president. I suggested his friend could be Vice-President Joe Biden. At that moment, I realized how close this picture was to the reality, for my son is biracial and his friend is white.
As I watched Jaden’s imagination soar, I wondered: Was this type of fantasy play even possible when I was his age, forty years earlier? I think not. I seriously doubt it was a consideration for many minority children even twenty years ago. However, 2009 is the year when things changed, for it is the year the first African American became president. In my son’s mind, and to a certain extent even in mine, all things are possible.
President Obama inspired millions of people of all ages and hues to believe again in America’s greatness. My hope is that he will be a successful president, partly because his success is inextricably linked to our nation’s success. However, also because the hopes and dreams of so many young Jadens rest on his shoulders.
Jaden is a self-confident (sometimes overly confident) boy with high ambitions. The son of two introverts, once a stranger asked if he was shy. He looked in her eyes and assuredly told her, “No.” He is a leader. He already can see himself growing up and becoming president. And now, so can I.
This essay is published on my blog at Twin Cities Daily Planet.
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Posted by Deb on January 8, 2009
You pretend the truth isn’t staring you in the face;
that you didn’t lose the race.
You’re such a disgrace.
You whine cause things didn’t go your way-
now demanding your day,
and making us pay.
You’ll punish us all until the bitter end,
refusing to give in.
But you won’t win.
Your bruised ego will only cause us pain.
This is insane.
And there’s nothing to gain.
You say you’ll keep fighting till the race is done.
But, in truth it’s just-
Denial…on the run.
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Posted by Deb on December 14, 2008
Confused…don’t worry. These are our Ghanaian names. In Ghana, every person receives a day name—a name representing the day of the week they were born. Mike was born in a Monday, which means Kojo. Jaden (Kwesi) was born on a Sunday. My day name, Abena, means Tuesday.
In June 2008, we took the trip of a lifetime. We traveled to the continent of Africa (yes Sarah Palin, Africa is a continent). The seeds for this trip were planted more than a year ago thanks to Macalester College’s international host program. Through that program, we became the host family for Seyram Addom, a lovely young lady from Ghana, West Africa. Over the past year, a kinship has developed between the Addom family and us which led to her parents (Victor and Joyce) extending an invitation for us to visit Ghana. The idea of visiting Africa—especially walking on the same land as my ancestors—has been a dream of mine ever since I traced my roots through DNA. So, with our 10th wedding anniversary looming, we decided to accept their warm invitation.
Joyce and Victor arranged for us to stay at a guesthouse a few blocks from their home and far away from the tourist district. Each morning we walked over to their home, often with the neighborhood chickens or goats strolling nearby. For the most part, the only time the residents even noticed us was when little children waved to Mike and said “Hi Abroni.” The mothers would giggle because Abroni means white man.
The Addom family extended a level of hospitality that exceeded all of our expectations. They introduced us to some of Ghana’s most fascinating sites, such as exploring Kakum National Park Rainforest and watching carpenters make fantasy coffins for the dearly departed. Also, as a surprise, the family hired an African drum band with dancers to entertain us during our anniversary dinner.
Actual coffin shaped like a king cobra.
Our anniversary dinner and dance.
kakum Nat'l Park (L-R), Victor, Jaden, Deb, Setri, Mike, Joyce, Seyram and Kofi.
Sandwiched like sardines for months at a time, this dungeon held over 1000 male slaves awaiting transport to the colonies. Due to unsanitary conditions, often many died.
The most impressive place we visited—and the primary reason for our trip—was a former slave castle. Cape Coast Castle is only one of countless slave castles along the west coast of Africa. Under British rule, countless numbers of captured Africans languished in the dungeon waiting for slave ships to haul them to the colonies. Our tour guide described in horrific detail the brutality they experienced. He also revealed that ever since Ghana gained independence in 1957, it has strived to make amends for its part in the slave trade by welcoming descendants of slaves back home.
In just eight days, we learned so much about life in Ghana; like how to pound yams into a tasty porridge called fufu. I felt connected to the people of Ghana in a way I never anticipated. So much so, that I have adopted Ghana as my ancestral homeland and the Addoms as my extended family. Mike and I are excited about returning the hospitality as the Addoms are planning a visit here very soon.
With regards to the rest of our family, everyone is well. Brian is staying at our house again while he takes classes and works part-time. Chris graduated and now teaches at a school in Minneapolis for pregnant teens/teen mothers. Susan continues with medical school although is no longer married.
Jaden is growing in both size and intellect. He’s now in 3rd grade; however, in a 4th grade math group. He enjoys reading Star Wars books or building things with Legos and K’nex; that is when he’s not playing Guitar Hero on Nintendo DS. He still plays piano and viola. He also has joined the community center swim team.
I’m still writing for the Twin Cities Daily Planet and volunteering for the Science Museum. In addition, I’m taking adult beginner Irish dance lessons and at the same time shattering another stereotype by proving not all black people have rhythm. If my knees and courage hold up, I’ll be dancing on St. Patrick’s Day with the Rince na Chroi school (pronounced Rink eh na Kree). That’s Gaelic for Dance of the Heart.
Mike finds solace from the daily grind of work by communing with nature. Whenever possible, he likes to go camping. This summer we upgraded from our pop-up camper to an RV. The comfortable bed, bathroom, and kitchen make camping that much more enjoyable. We think of it as our cabin on wheels. Also, as a birthday present, he received an inflatable 3-person kayak (it actually resembles a canoe) that he plans to take out next year as soon as the lakes thaw.
Our family standing outside our new RV.
I cannot end this letter without commenting on this historic election year. Our country overwhelmingly elected a man who, less than 150 years ago, would have been sold to the highest bidder and branded like cattle. Some well-meaning people thought our nation was not ready for this; that inspiring people to believe in a better America only offered false hope. However, in the words of President-elect Barack Obama, “…in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.”
God bless America.
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Posted by Deb on October 26, 2008
Excerpt: If it’s true good things come in threes, then 2008 has been a banner year for Peter Blau.
Click here to read the entire article
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Posted by Deb on October 15, 2008
Excerpt: “I’m often credited as one of the founders, which is sort of like someone being credited with founding soap.”
That’s what Mel Duncan said while reflecting on his role as the founder and executive director of Nonviolent Peaceforce…
Click here to read more about Mel duncan and Nonviolent Peaceforce.
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Posted by Deb on September 22, 2008
“It’s about time they have a parenting class for parents with school-age kids,” Melissa Semrad said. PEP, the new Parent Educational Program for parents with school-age children, debuted in September. Created by the Working Family Resource Center in Saint Paul, PEP addresses the concerns of parents with children ages 5-12 years of age.
Click here to read the entire article.
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Posted by Deb on May 14, 2008
Excerpt: It’s 10:15 on Tuesday morning. More than sixty moms, dads, grandparents and nannies have brought their infants to the Red Balloon Book Shop—one of the few remaining independent bookstores in Saint Paul. Adults and babies sit on the floor, eyes transfixed on storyteller Sara Walker as she energetically moves across the room, weaving stories, music and games together. Tuesday morning is story time for infants and the audience is mesmerized.
Read more at http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/11403
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Posted by Deb on May 5, 2008
Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article about citizen journalism. The reporter prominently featured me in the article here is a link to the story.
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