African Music Ensemble
If you haven’t attended one of these you should. Watching Sowah Mensa and his protegés play an array of African instruments ranging from drums and flutes to the xylophone is a real treat! Best of all – the concert is free 
For more information click here
Tagged African music, African Music Ensemble, music, Sowah Mensa, U of MN
by Nelima
Sorry for the short notice. If you have found the news coverage of the Somali (and by extension African community) wanting, come with your questions, complaints and most importantly suggestions.
Where: U of MN Journalism School — Murphy Hall Room 130
When: Thursday, February 12, 2009 | 7:15 – 9:00 p.m
What: A discussion about news coverage of the Somali community: What are the challenges to covering an immigrant community? Are there good stories that aren’t being told? How can we build strong relationships between the media and Somali community leaders?
Our own Nekessa will be a panelist at the event alongside other media and community people. Here’s a chance to be heard. See you there!
This was posted on MinnPost last week, but I think it is relevant seeing as tomorrow is World AIDS Day.
By Sharon Schmickle | Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008
KAMPALA, UGANDA—Costa Kiggundu had one question for an American visitor to her home in a gritty Kampala slum: “What will happen if you stop sending the drugs?”
It’s a life-or-death question for Kiggundu, her son and all of her friends at the clinic where she gets medicine to help her body fight HIV infection, which killed her husband.
by Nelima
Just stumbled upon this story from WCCO. Wow! If anyone knows Ms. Anato-Mensah, please ask her to share her side of the story. It reads that she went crazy after being fired, but I’m thinking the only way someone could erupt like this if they’d been had been pushed to the edge. You know like if you had a boss that was constantly witch hunting you, because you weren’t getting along. I’m not supporting what she did, but I have to wonder how things got to this point? Jenny please share.
Former TV Intern Causes Trouble After Firing
A former intern at KSTP-TV faces criminal charges after she allegedly went on a tirade when she was fired.
Jennifer Anato-Mensah allegedly yelled obscenities, chased an executive producer, and smashed a window in the newsroom. She’s charged with misdemeanor criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct.
Danielle Prenevost is an executive producer of KSTP’s early evening newscasts. She says the intern did not understand the concepts of a TV newsroom and that she told Anato-Mensah she didn’t have enough experience.
At that point, Prenevost says, Anato-Mensah “just lost it.”
The criminal complaint says that on Oct. 13, the 21-year-old began yelling at Prenevost saying she would “mess you up.” It says Prenevost tried to walk away, and the intern chased her, eventually kicking out a window in a conference room door as she tried to get in.
Anato-Mensah is a student at the University of Minnesota. She did not return a message left by The Associated Press.
by Nelima
Police officers tape off building entrances on the University of Minnesota campus after a bomb threat on April 18, 2007. Courtesy of Fox 9 News.
To say I was irritated by this incident is an understatement. At 7am on Tuesday a 19 year old white female U of MN student said she had overheard ’3 Somalis discussing bombs’ prompting a lock down and evacuation of two buildings. After further investigation her story was found to be false. Her reason for calling in the bomb threat? She wanted to avoid two classes!!!! Am I the only one who’s going what the heck????? Why didn’t she just cut class instead of going through all the trouble. Great, another Ashley Todd. According to the story in the MN Daily, she ‘may’ be charged and ‘could’ face discipline from the U. In the same article U spokesman, Dan Wolter, calls her use of a racial description ‘unfortunate’. I may be wrong, but while I was at the U I was under the impression that they had a zero tolerance policy towards such stupidity. Perhaps the US board of education should introduce a mandatory Stereotyping 101 class somewhere in the education curriculum to deal with this still prevalent problem of racial prejudice.
Here are links to the story as reported in various news outlets;
Tagged Bomb Threat, Hoax, Prejudice, Race, Somali Community, Somalis, U of MN
BBC: Africa Section New York Times :Africa Section Voice Of America: Africa Section Washington Post: Africa Section
