The Minneapolis Urban League Board of Directors has appointed David Oguamanam (prounounced: Oh-guam-ann-am) interim president/CEO of the north Minneapolis-
based non-profit, effective August 1. 

As the interim president/CEO, Oguamanam will be charged with the overall operation of the agency, an operating budget of $6.5 million and a staff of  approximately 100 full and part-time employees. He will preside as president/CEO until a candidate is found to fill the permanent position.  

On Friday July 25, 08 an enthusiastic crowd of people with an “international” outlook gathered at the 1st CUP CAFÉ located at 2740 Minnehaha Avenue South Minneapolis to witness the launching of a new novel by Tanzanian journalist-economist-cum-author Swallehe Msuya. 

It was at this venue that the calm and collected Mr Msuya brought a fascinating subject to his audience on how rural Africa prepare its grown up girls into responsible mothers and wives! He told his audience that the title “The Kitchen Party” is not about African food, rather it is a buzz word (expression) with a deeper meaning that reflects on “women only guided classes” for girls who have attained puberty to prepare them into the noble roles of responsible wives and loving mothers.

World Breastfeeding Awareness Week is coming up in August and Aisha Qaasim flags the need for stronger cultural support in the United States, particularly for African American moms. Negative attitudes, she says, are making our children sick.

"That is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen," she said to the small woman at her side loudly enough to ripple through the weekday lunch crowd at the Westfield Shopping Mall in Bethesda, Md. I've brushed off some pretty awful insults in my life.
In law school I received hate mail covered with pictures of gorillas demanding that I, and all of the other African American first-years, go back to "Cooley High." 

Yet, I was caught off guard when I realized the insult was aimed at me, as I sat on a bench breastfeeding my 2-month-old daughter.

Joe Riemann and Scott Patterson of Equal Exchange, 
the fair trade food cooperative, which recently started 
selling coffee labeled “Oromia” instead of “Ethiopia”

By Douglas McGill , TC Daily Planet 

Joe Riemann bestowed one simple name, and in return received overflowing blessings and a beautiful name for himself.The name he received from members of a grateful immigrant community in the Twin Cities is “Jalata,” meaning “One who loves.” As for the simple and single name that he bestowed, bear with me, this will sound implausible but it is absolutely true.

 A controversial project to grow sugar in the touristic River Tana Delta has triggered a lawsuit against the government by environmental and community groups.
 
The $369 million project, approved despite possible harm to the region’s fragile coastal wetlands, aims to grow sugarcane to produce ethanol and generate power.
 
The lawsuit claims that at least five laws and the Kenyan constitution would be broken if the project goes ahead. Kenyan Nobel Laureate and environmentalist Wangari Maathai, backs the action, warning that the country would regret failing to protect its environment.

President Yoweri Museveni has urged Ugandan farmers to modernize agricultural production for higher yields that attract both local and international markets.The President was  addressing exhibitors at the opening of the16th Source of the Nile National Agricultural and Trade Show in Jinja.The show was organized by the Uganda National Farmers Federation and has attracted over 300 exhibitors.

Hopewell Rugoho-Chin'ono, from Zimbabwe, has been awarded the top prize at this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 Awards Ceremony.

Hopewell, founder and film director for Television International, Zimbabwe, won for his story 'Pain in My Heart', which was chosen from among 1912 entries from a record 44 nations across the African continent. Hopewell was one of 23 finalists at the Awards ceremony on Saturday evening and was also the category winner in The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa.

Ato Shallo Dhaba, Director of the Regional Health Bureau of Oromiya, Ethiopia, visited the Twin Cities in January of 2008 on the invitation of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). MDH, with the support of NASTAD, formed a twinning relationship with the Oromiya Health Bureau in 2007.

ANJ News

A coffee hour meeting organized as a community forum brought together Senator Pogemilller, Senate majority leader, Senator Linda berglin, Chair of Health and Human Services Budget Division and representative Karen Clark of Committee of Public Health and housing and members of the African community including business owners, community leaders, media and other professionals to update each other about the state of the State.

Congressman Kieth Ellison was a member of a delagtion from the House Democracies Assistance Commission who paid a 10 days visit to Africa. After the trip, Ellison sat down with the African News Journal to talk about his recent trip accross the continent . “ It was my first trip to Subsaharan Africa.” said Ellison. Of course, I was in North Africa before, I was in Egypt. But this is the first time to visit Subsaharan countries.” Ellison added.  It was a very good survey of Africa.

It started from Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa to Congo, Kinsasha, Central Africa,  where I met General Babacar Gaye of Senegal, the force commander in Congo, of the largest and most robust of the 18 United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world.

Liberian Pres. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf expressed her solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe in a speech prepared for the sixth annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in Soweto over this past weekend.
 
“All Africans must speak out about injustices in places such as Zimbabwe,” said Madam Pres Johnson-Sirleaf.
 
The remark earned applause from Mandela and a Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf         crowd of several hundred gathered in a community hall for the lecture. She also came out in support of a UN sanctions resolution proposed by the US.

(GIN) – An international arrest warrant issued this week against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir has set off a flood of criticism over the move from African leaders and other rights activists worldwide.
 
In the warrant, the Sudanese leader is accused of 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the western region of Darfur. Chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, signed the warrant.
 
quot;You can't arrest Beshir. Who's going to arrest him?" South Africa’s deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad queried reporters at a pres conference.

“Grow local businesses and more will come. That is the goal of a joint effort between the University of Minnesota Extension Services program and ethnic chambers of commerce.” organizers said

The two year project entitled the Business Retention and Expansion Visitation Program, or BR&E, will identify the needs of ethnic businesses in four counties of the Twin Cities by going straight to the source – ethnic chamber member businesses.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today announced its Minnesota Small Business Leaders for McCain coalition chairs. Today several metro area small business owners endorsed John McCain’s economic plan, joining business leaders across the country who have praised John McCain’s jobs-first plan to grow the economy as president.

The Hennepin County Board, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, Metropolitan Council, City of Minneapolis and University of Minnesota Board of Regents have all approved an agreement, called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), on the Washington Avenue alignment for the Central Corridor light rail line.