Black Corners show set to change the output of Black Talk Radio and Television

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Independent Business News Network

Minnesota (Twin Cities)

Contact: ibnnnews@gmail.com 

Wednesday, February 3, 2021 

Thursday, February 4th at 8:30pm CST - it’s the new Black in Black Talk Radio, “Black Corners.”  

Minnesota/Chicago (Worldwide)…In celebration and recognition of Black History Month, the program Black Corners will broadcast its inaugural program on Thursday, February 4th at 8:30pm (CST).  “It started out as an idea,” said Don Allen, the Independent Business News Network’s chief editorial columnist, and Thursday night it gets real. Joining Allen on this joint venture is Mr. James Holmes, Jr. owner and founder of Black Lion Inc. - the umbrella for several of his other corporations including Black Lion Investments and Black Lion Foundation. 

 "Uncle James" as he's affectionately known by his many mentees uses his Wall Street education and over 30-years in corporate finance to help launch start-up businesses for young entrepreneurs in the Twin Cities.  His passion is to develop and create over 60 new entrepreneurs (Young Lions) each year, ultimately closing the massive wealth disparities in Minnesota.  Holmes is married to Minnesota super-lawyer Kim Holmes.  They have four college-educated children, all excelling in their fields.  According to Holmes, he's most proud that they are debt-free, financially literate, and wonderful human beings!  His quest is to do the same for all young people willing to absorb the wealth of knowledge he spreads. With all that, he’s a Black man! 

Now, beaming in from Chicago to join this team of deep-space travelers (Black Corners) is Mr. Gregory Sain, currently functioning in the capacity of Director of Community Safety & Relations with the Chicago Urban League and the director of the widely-acclaimed Male Responsibility Program. Mr. Sain’s speaking abilities and outspoken disposition afforded him opportunities to work as a former radio host at WVON 1690 and WBGX 1570 and intellectual radio show and commentator on Truth Radio “Butt Naked Truth,” Co-Founder of the New Black Leadership Coalition, Mr. Sain’s management skills served him well as the Manager of Comedian, Actor, and Author Steve Harvey of the Steve Harvey Show. As a well sought-after Motivational Speaker, Mr. Sain has moderated several "Today's Black Women Expos and Town Hall meetings. Mr. Sain is recognized as a popular Keynote Speaker for Graduations, a Proud Father, FOI, and an Honorable Son to his Wonderful Mother. “Ain’t No Telling What Gregory Sain is Going to Say!”

Together, Allen, Holmes, and Sain debut, “Black Corners,” places so deep the devil himself doesn’t look. Black Corners - the program is designed to talk about the solutions and ideas that we do not have to be in the same circumstances for another 60-years. It’s time for action, melancholy will not be permitted. 

Part I: Are Black Minnesotans better off on the Bottom?

Don Allen, M.A. Ed. (photo: D. Allen, chair surfing a
Hamline University)

If you don't have my phone number to call and speak with me, you don't know me. My agency in this story is to shake you into understanding a new leadership caste must rise in Minnesota before black Minnesotans are cast back to the days of "White Only" drinking fountains. 

By Don Allen, Editorial Columnist

I’ve been called a “coon, sellout, and white-boy,” by black Minnesotans that feel like education will not get them any further than they are today. Mind you, this is not a pity-piece missive, nor does this have anything to do with feelings; but it is my opportunity to explain that something is wrong when every other group (in MN) can look at you and know for sure that your race, color and socioeconomic status, education and housing option are on the bottom in this great state.

While many of “us” do not identify with Minnesota’s black community (unfortunately) and prefer social circles that avoid the lower one-third of the community, it has also set a trend for those who participate with an illusion of agency as another race, not black people. At the end of the day the mirror never lies, so no matter who you hang out with friends and associates; if you are black in Minnesota, you’re consistently qualifying yourself because from your “cover,” you’re not qualified until deemed so by some with less…and these are the black folks.  

I’ve sat by and poked the bear when I watched Minnesota lawmakers put more money and concern into Walleye fishing than homeless school children. I tried to get involved when governor Mark Dayton showered (literally) a dozen white-led agencies with over $100 million dollars to end Minnesota’s veteran homelessness challenge. The majority of the homeless veterans are of color and because I wanted to be paid for consulting and making a plan in those days, I was marginalized by Dayton’s veterans guy and basically never called upon. But still there are hundreds of homeless veterans, families and school children that never get touched by local or state funding that remain in a perpetual loop of nothingness. Unfortunately, and this is not a generalization, in Minnesota, the people I talk about are people of color: Black Minnesotans.

I have a friend who posts stuff on Facebook then says, “trigger,” which I think is absolutely incredibly hilarious; so when you ask what was my motivation, or “trigger” for this missive, you only need look at the photo above of the 2018 Minnesota Super Bowl committee sans any black Minnesotans, male or female.  Of course I don’t want to dismiss the fact that I see no Asians, Hispanic-Latinos, Somali or more importantly for Minnesota, Native Americans; the fact is “surplus with exceptions” seems to be the true meaning of Minnesota Nice. This leads be to ask have people of color in Minnesota not arrived? Is it too easy to outsource racism, exclusion and marginalization via someone in that race-construct? It seems that way.

Examples: 1) In 2016 the Minnesota Department of Human Services spent over $59 million on overtime pay. Our sources tell us that more than 95-percent of the people who receive this pay were white men and women. This could never happen at a black Minnesota lead organization, the overseers have eyes and orders to hover.

The Education Gap is so wide that each year we
wait to address it - it will take five more years to fix

2) A WCCO-TV report, “Minnesota Ranked 2nd-Worst In U.S. For Racial Equality, (2017)” citing that the latest 2017 numbers from the Minnesota Department of Education found that in grades three through eight and tenth, the amount of white students who met the standard for reading and math was about double that of black students. This report also talks about the double-digit gap in household income.

3) From the Politico story, “Something Is Rotten in the State of Minnesota,” the Twin Cities it turns out, are also home to some of the worst racial disparities in the country. In metrics across the board—household income, unemployment rates, poverty rates and education attainment—the gap between white people and people of color is significantly larger in Minnesota than it is most everywhere else. Earlier this year, WalletHub used government data to measure financial inequality among racial groups in each state and found that in 2015, Minnesota ranked dead last overall.

Enough is enough!

I guess my question is, where are the black community leaders; self-appointed or otherwise? How does Minnesota (the state) keep operating in a vicious circle of neglect and malfeasance and nobody black, male or female that has contact with policy makers says a word? Also, what happened to more than 500 Super Bowl tickets scattered out in the Twin Cities? Who received them, why?

With the clear and present danger of not enough black school teachers, college professors, housing nonprofits, where are black Minnesotans headed?

Part II: Still N***a (Jay Z, 2017).

About Don Allen:
"Donny" is an educator in St. Paul and continues his education currently at the University of St. Thomas taking the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) and the Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.). He is also a motivational speaker for topics of black children, teacher licensing in the education system. To contact him, email ibnnnews@gmail.com . 

MN Candidate Faces Scandal in Wake of Primary Victory

By Preya Samsundar

lhan Omar emerged victorious from her primary as a media darling, but a look into her past reveals possible marriage and immigration fraud

Minneapolis, MN- Ilhan Omar became the biggest story of Tuesday’s Minnesota Primary election. Omar defeated 21 term incumbent Phyllis Kahn for the DFL nomination for state representative in House District 60B.  It is historic because Kahn is the longest serving member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, having held her seat since 1974.  Omar will make history, if elected in November, as the first Somali-American elected to the Minnesota House.

On Friday, Powerlineblog ran a story that could severely damage Omar’s chances of making history. A reader tipped Powerlineblog to a post from a Somali community forum website post that suggests Omar may be directly involved in marriage and immigration fraud. A Somali Spot user posted information last week alleging Omar married her brother in order for him to immigrate to the US, despite the fact she’s been married to the father of her three children for over a decade.

Powerline cached the original post from Somali Spot that is now removed.  It shows screen shots of marriage records from the Hennepin County website showing that Omar was married to Ahmed Hirsi in 2002.  Hirsi is the father of Omar’s three children and is pictured with Hirsi and their children on Omar’s campaign website.

Read the full story here.

Jennifer Carnahan steps forward to challenge incumbent senator Bobby Joe “No Show” Champion

Editor’s note: Senate District 59 has been represented by an incumbent senator who believes that helping a few friends to gain access to funding is better than collectively working with the whole community.  Related stories: School board's approval of $375,000 contract for Al Flowers-related group drawing questions; Minneapolis schools seek to end contract with achievement gap group; OPEN LETTER REGARDING THE BREAKDOWN OF EDUCATION LEADERSHIP IN MINNEAPOLIS

By Radcliffe Norman – Political Analysis (at-large)

Minnesota's fifty-ninth state senate district is represented by Democratic Senator Bobby Joe Champion. Minnesota state senators represent an average of 79,163 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 73,425 residents (BalllotPedia, 2016).

Today another contender has entered the race; meet Jennifer: corporate executive, business owner and today challenging the incumbent senator from north Minneapolis Bobby Joe Champion.  Jennifer joins the ever popular social media, print and door knocking DFL candidate Patwin Lawrence who has broken records in the number of community following him on his campaign Facebook page.

Jennifer and daughter. (photo: Campaign website)

Jennifer Carnahan spent 15 years climbing the corporate ladder at some of the top Fortune 500 companies, including General Mills, McDonald’s and Ecolab. Despite her success, Carnahan said, she needed more style in her life. Last year, the business executive left the security of her office job to pursue a dream of opening a clothing boutique in northeast Minneapolis. Primrose Park debuted in October, and while Carnahan, 38, has achieved her long-held goal, it hasn’t been easy. On days when the cash register hardly opens, she is reminded of her personal motto, displayed on the walls of the cozy store: “Dream Big. Be Happy” (Blanchette, Star Tribune, 2015).  (Read more about Jennifer here.)

Jennifer Carnahan, a Minnesota native, is a strong believer in the American Dream.  Adopted from South Korea in 1977, Carnahan's parents - John and Cindra - taught her if she could dream it, she could live it.  And since she was a young girl, Jennifer has been chasing her dreams. 

Minnesota: SD 59 candidate Patwin Lawrence challenges incumbent to Community Forum

Editor's note: At this posting, senate district incumbent Senator Bobby Joe Champion as refused to contact groups attempting to set up a community forum with the SD 59 candidates. Patwin Lawrence is prepared go public with what could be some serious concerns about  Senator Champion's tenure in the Minnesota Senate.

Senate district 59 candidate Patwin Lawrence
(photo: Patwin Lawrence Facebook page - Fair Use)

Minneapolis, Minn. – Sen. Champion has denied his constituency an opportunity to participate in the political process in the upcoming August 9th primary. Patwin Lawrence who is challenging Sen. Champion in the August primary requested several times this week to have a debate/candidate forum with the incumbent.

On last Wednesday, SD59 Chair Jeff Strand, in an email communication with Mr. Lawrence, declined the idea of a debate/candidate forum. Lawrence gave Champion till 5pm on Friday, July 22 to make a decision whether he would support or deny his constituents the opportunity to have a debate/forum.

This type of behavior is not surprising, but typical of Sen. Champion. In May, Sen. Champion agreed to have a community meeting with North Minneapolis constituents questioning the $35 million appropriated to various non-profits in the recent legislative session. The meeting has not been scheduled.

An important piece of Lawrence’s platform is if he is elected to the state senate, he will have town hall meetings around the district before each legislative session to collate constituency ideas and craft a community driven legislative agenda to take to St. Paul. He would also regularly meet with constituency, especially at their request.

For more on Patwin Lawrence’s campaign platform/ideas, visit patwinlawrence.org/the_issues

About Patwin Lawrence:

Turn the lights out on Minneapolis' Civil Rights Department

Minnesota’s real MLK Day Celebration: 2nd Annual MLK Day March and Rally for Jobs, Justice and Housing in downtown Minneapolis

Minnesota’s real MLK Day Celebration: 2nd Annual MLK Day March and Rally for Jobs, Justice and Housing in downtown Minneapolis

What Has the Black Community Done for the Black Community?

By Nicholas McNeal from AfricanGlobe.net

After seeing what happened in Wisconsin’s recall election, it is apparent to me as well as anyone else who was paying attention, that Money Governs America. While many of us are complaining that President Obama has done nothing for the Black Community, we should be asking ourselves, what has the Black Community done for the Black Community?

In my opinion, what I see us doing is having a national pity party, while expecting some savior to step in and give us living wage jobs, health care and education, among other things that we have the capacity and resources to get ourselves.

Blacks number 40 million living in America, or 12.3% of US population, which are mostly consumers.  Separately we spend   One Trillion Dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) a year. Take note that only 14 countries in the world have a larger economy.

Despite the One Trillion Dollars we control and add to the US economy , 1 in 5 Black families live in poverty, single Black woman w/children earns $25,000, 40% of families headed by a single mom are poor. What do think you think we do with all that that money????
Here is what we spent in 2009.

• 65.2 Billion on food
• 29    Billion on Automobile
• 29    Billion on Clothes
• 23    Billion on Health Care
• 6.1   Billion  on Electronics
• 3.3   Billion on Tobacco
•  3      Billion on Alcohol
• 995 Million on sports & Recreation
• 321 Million on Books

What could we do with the One Trillion Dollars?

$.02 of every Dollar spent in 2010 ($19 Billion) would pay for college for all Black College Students.

$.20 of every Dollar spent in 2010 could pay the debt of all African Nations. ($200Billion)

It was no easy lift, but we were able to advance our social and political position during the Civil Rights Era.  If we practice good stewardship of our considerable resources, we can change from a consumer people, to a self-empowered people, with the capacity and resources to conduct business and practice entrepreneurship, inside as well as outside of our communities.

Next time you have money to spend, think about how you can spend it in our Community, if you can’t do that, find a company that is known to hire Black people or find a Black person that works on a commission basis. Every Dollar spent in our community brings us closer to self empowerment.

CM Don Samuels, City Council set to evict Black Families from North Minneapolis

City Councilman Don Samuels is set to make sure that no Black families have a place to live for Christmas.

Read the full story here.

Also read:

Meet the Investment Wizard? Minneapolis Ward 5 City Councilman Don Samuels 

Getting Rich in North Minneapolis – Ward 5 City Councilman Don Samuels, “Art of the Deal”

Politics Public Schools Gang Summits and War on Blacks 11/12 by ON POINT | Blog Talk Radio

Politics Public Schools Gang Summits and War on Blacks 11/12 by ON POINT | Blog Talk Radio

Tune in Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Add caption

James Thomas | International Leadership Institute to support fundraising efforts for Kenya & Africa | PRLog

James Thomas | International Leadership Institute to support fundraising efforts for Kenya & Africa | PRLog

The perpetual funding for Job Training of the Poor and Under-Served must stop. The focus on job creation has been abandoned

“If one more dollar goes to training and businesses are bypassed that can create opportunities then the best social services program is just being “social.”

Editor’s note: As part of IBNN’s Real Citizen Journalism Project (RCJ), we continue to post relevant stories on topics concerning Minnesotans and the reason why the great state of the Loon and Lakes is light years behind in education, contract compliance, affirmative action and civil rights. This morning on Facebook Questions, I asked the following question: “Do you think the continued training of the poor and under-served community members is relevant when there are no jobs?” I received a lot of answers, and continue to get feedback. I would like to share this response with the readers of IBNN NEWS. 

By Alan L. Maki, Guest Contributor IBNN NEWS Real Citizen Journalism Project


Minneapolis, MN (IBNN NEWS/RCJ/June 7, 2011)…In my opinion it is mean and cruel to train people for jobs that don’t exist. What is terrible is many of the training programs exist just so the over-paid administrators can feed at the public trough.

A lot of the problem can be solved through the enforcement of Affirmative Action which requires training for specific jobs public funds will be spent on to create.

Here in Minnesota Democrats and Republicans have been colluding for years running schemes and scams to evade and prevent the enforcement and enactment of Affirmative Action.

Obama shoved hundreds of millions of dollars into Minnesota through the American Recovery and Re-investment Act and then he allowed Minnesota politicians to allocate these funds to townships, counties and cities that don’t even have Affirmative Action requirements.

In all of Minnesota I bet there aren’t more than 6 townships, counties or cities that implement and enforce Affirmative Action and if you go on the job sites you can tell just by looking at the faces no Affirmative Action is being enforced— looking at the people standing in the food-shelf lines this is another matter.

With all the attorneys and politicians running around Minnesota talking about “human rights” and what a great “liberal” guy Hubert Humphrey was. here in Minnesota there isn’t a single attorney who will stand up and challenge this racism nor is there one single politician in the Minnesota State Legislature who will stand up and insist that any tax-payer funds spent on public works projects must include the enforcement of Affirmative Action.

Mark Dayton appointed an outright opponent of Affirmative Action, Mark Phillips, to head up the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Mark Phillips worked for the number one offending employer in Minnesota for failing to enforce Affirmative Action: Kraus-Anderson.

Unless Affirmative Action is going to be stringently and stridently enforced there is no point in training people of color for any jobs because anyone can see the opportunity to get a job once trained is just not there. It’s called: racism.

It is racist to train someone to do a job knowing the people who are going to be trained will not get the job because of the color of their skin.

No one knows better than DEED Commissioner Mark Phillips whose department oversees millions of dollars in training funds that the people of color being trained are never going to get a job because while working for Kraus-Anderson it was his job to enforce racist employment policies designed to deprive people of color from getting jobs they were trained to do.

Dollars should be allocated to implement and enforce Affirmative Action.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights whose job it is to enforce Affirmative Action is one sick racist joke that operates under the theory of “benign neglect.”

President Obama to Dr. Childs: We need to get Information to the Community

ON POINT! Saturday's a 4 p.m.

Join us Saturday for an amazing program!

by IBNN NEWS – BlogTalkRadio’s ON POINT!

North Minneapolis businessman Dr. Timothy Childs has just returned from a trip to Washington, DC that included a dinner for him and his wife with President Obama. (Read more here)

Dr. Childs told IBNN NEWS in an exclusive interview that President Obama and his staff want to make sure that the broader community is receiving valuable information about programs in education, economic development ad health care.

Dr. Childs told IBNN NEWS, “This was an eye-opening experience. The president is truly concerned about things like the achievement gap. He has given me a mission to address disparities and report back on our progress.”

Dr. Childs is a  north Minneapolis businessman who operates a technology firm and a education foundation that assists inner city kids reach their goals and potential. The TCL Education Foundations president Ms. Yolanda Friday is looking forward to the challenges ahead.

Dr. Childs will be joining co-hosts Ronald A. Edwards and Don Allen on Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 4 p.m. to talk about his trip to Washington, DC and what means to the community in the Twin Cities.

"Tune in Saturday at 4 p.m. - it's no laughing matter..."

Also on Saturday’s show, we will look at the recent hiring trend that have excluded Black youth in favor of adults from the Hispanic-Latino community.

Join co-host Ronald A. Edwards and Don Allen on Saturday,  as we bust down the color barrier and explained what happened in White America that turned a simple after school job into a competitive position for Hispanic-Latino adult workers.

First of all, IBNN NEWS and it’s affiliates admire, respect and support Minnesota’s Hispanic-Latino population.

Saturday ON POINT! we will discuss what happen to areas like Lake Street, Broadway Avenue, University Avenue (St. Paul) as it relations to the influx of Hispanic-Latino workers and why in 2011 it’s hard to find a Black youth with a full time summer job at a fast food restaurant.

The trick of White supremacy in the 21st century is to create a Black-Brown conflict and get us to blame each other.

We will also discuss the Minneapolis Public Schools; the Northwest Area Foundation; The City, Inc and other local current events.

To tune in on Saturday at 4 p.m. (CST), click here or go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onpointmn/2011/04/23/president-obama-to-dr-childs-informaton-to-the-community

This is a LIVE 90-minute call-in program. We welcome callers to join the conversation at 877-572-4288.

Open Letter to Mr. Gary Cunningham and Kevin Walker of the Northwest Area Foundation, Headwaters Foundation and State Representative Bobby Jo Champion (D-MN/58B) – “Where Does Black Leadership begin in Minnesota?”

Just like the ''Economic Summit."

"Just like the March 30th, Economic Summit, the Black community of the Twin Cities has seen this before. The story below was originally done on November 20th, 2009. Somethings never change."

On Saturday, November 21, 2009 an African American Leadership Forum was held at General Mills.  The group of hand-picked, like-minded participants will insure that Black Minnesotans will achieve the same status-quo engagement while non-profit “fat cats” receive funding that never makes it past the agencies doors.


In the case of the now lack-luster Northway Community Trust who granted an out-of-town agency $50,000 for a survey of businesses on Broadway Avenue who never delivered a report – is one of the examples of Northwest Area Foundations “community engagements.”

The following email was sent to Northwest Area Foundations Gary Cunningham and President Kevin Walker:

Dear Mr. Cunningham and others,

I am writing to express my disdain for being lied to by you and the Foundation you represent regarding the African-American Leadership Forum tomorrow (11/21) at General Mills.

Northwest Area Foundation continues to overlook the community members who strive for social change aggressively and who are outspoken about social issues, when we are the people fighting in the trenches on a daily basis.  You promised in previous emails sent directly to me, that you would invite me and Mr. Edwards to this “leadership” meeting for a chance to dialog and observe the process.

Today, I spoke with Alfred Babington-Johnson from the Stairstep Foundation and Trista Harris from Headwaters Foundation and “hand-picked” participants to attend a “leadership forum” to be held on Saturday, November 21, 2009 starting at 7 a.m. and once again, you have overlooked inviting major activists in the Twin Cities and people who could create real change.

By working with those you feel comfortable with, lends itself to collusion, corruption and no results to no successful measurable outcome for the community.


I ask that the Northwest Area Foundation and others connected abide to principles of full disclosure and distribution of information to community stakeholders that may have additional view or opinions about the process and how it affects our community.

Our community has sat by for years and watched local non-profit agencies be gifted with funding from General Mills and others – do you realize none of this funding makes it to the lower 1/3rd of the underserved community. Businesses that have been created have failed at a catastrophic rate where is the accountability?

Mr. Cunningham – You have failed to invite individuals with opposing views – that have solutions and a process with a proven track record to assist changing the face of despair and hopelessness for African-Americans in Minnesota.

This is open letter is a request for full disclosure and the opportunity to participate.

Very best regards,

Donald W.R. Allen,II – IBNN
Ronald Edwards – National Research Institute/Rondex Group
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Nuff said – for now.