92 Years, One Unforgettable Night on the St. Croix
Contributing writer Tony Kiene recaps MSR's 92nd anniversary Legacy Yacht Cruise aboard the Majestic Star, where more than 300 guests filled four decks with music, dancing, Black-owned vendors and raffles. Emceed by Miss Shannan Paul, the night featured a fashion show by designer Barnabas Mwaiko, performances from jazz artist Wenso Ashby and vocalist J Michelle Caldwell, and remarks from CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard thanking the community for its continued support. See the full photo gallery from the event.
It was another night to remember as the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder celebrated its 92nd birthday setting sail down the St. Croix River in style aboard the historic Majestic Star. A mid-August tradition now of more than a decade, the MSR’s Legacy Yacht Cruise was once again at full capacity, as more than 300 people enjoyed four packed decks of fun along one of America’s original eight National Wild and Scenic Riverways.
Award-winning comedian, voice actor and radio and television host Miss Shannan Paul served as emcee and kicked off the evening on the 2nd deck, where guests were treated to a buffet-style meal and the opportunity to shop for jewelry, fashion, art and personal care products at Black-owned businesses such as Shiro’s African Boutique, Nashipai and Beauty in Full Bloom.
The 2nd deck proved popular as the location of several spirited rounds of bingo and also included a fashion show produced by Cruise Director Richard Moody and featuring six models exhibiting the spectacular styles of Afro-Futurist designer Barnabas Mwaiko.
Deck 3 kept the energy up all night, where the Queen of Music, Beauty and Love, DJ Dendera, kept the dance floor moving. Dynamic singer-songwriter Rico Nevotion also performed, and the Twin Cities’ “Lady of Line Dance,” Tina Jackson, led an enthusiastic group through one of her abbreviated, yet still renowned, “Gotta Dance” soul line dance classes.
The 3rd deck was also where the MSR caught up with another local legend on the dance scene, Kevin Johnson.
“There’s such an array of people from the community I don’t get to see that often,” noted Johnson, executive director of the Twin Cities Steppers Association. Johnson, whose own August tradition, the Twin Cities Music & Movement Festival, is this coming weekend, is a regular on the MSR Legacy Yacht Cruise.
“This is a great opportunity to network,” he added. “I get to dance with and talk to new people. And to see the popularity of this event and how Tracey continues to grow the paper, it’s just awesome.”
It was on the dance floor where MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard grabbed the microphone for the first time all night, helping to raffle off one of the first prizes of the evening, a beautiful tea basket.
Williams-Dillard thanked everyone for their continued support, declaring gratefully that “you all are the MSR. So please keep sharing your thoughts with us. Please be sure to tell us where, when and how we can do better.”
“Now, I’m going weave in and out,” she revealed to both laughter and cheers, fulfilling her hosting duties by moving throughout the yacht. “That’s how I do it.”
The 4th deck was reserved for guests who were looking to socialize, feel the breeze and take in the night sky while still enjoying the music below. And Deck 1, although maintaining a similar, laid-back vibe, had plenty to offer of its own.
Hue-MAN Partnership and Twin Cities CARES Mentoring Movement were on hand to share information on overall health and wellness and how to access culturally specific care and critical resources. Hue-MAN Partnership has been a longtime supporter of the MSR and a sponsor of the Legacy Yacht Cruise.
When asked why it’s so important for Hue-MAN to be part of this event, Executive Director Clarence Jones said, “For one, it’s critical that we all support the Black press. We’re celebrating 92 years of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, which has done and continues to do a phenomenal job of keeping us aware of critical health issues. That’s why Hue-MAN does this every year.”
The 1st deck also featured appearances by the queens of the 2026 Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State Pageant and the music of contemporary jazz and neo-soul artist Wenso Ashby.
A distinguished pianist and composer, Ashby’s musical sets stretched across the evening and featured a trio of vocalists including local legend J Michelle Caldwell, who shined on several numbers, including that of her namesake, the late Bobby Caldwell and his 1978 classic, “What You Won’t Do for Love.” Multi-instrumentalist David “Batman” Eiland, of Flyte Tyme fame, provided additional support, spending most of the night playing his Roland Aerophone Pro AE-30 digital wind synthesizer in lieu of his typical alto saxophone.
Additional raffle prizes were awarded up until the moment the Majestic Star returned to the Stillwater docks, including a pair of tickets to the Aug. 29 Minnesota State Fair Grandstand concert, the “Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Homecoming: A Celebration of the Minneapolis Sound.”
The most common refrain throughout the evening was how person after person gushed about how much they “loved this event,” including those who’d been before and those experiencing it for the first time.
Perhaps Cynthia Carter, a dedicated volunteer and champion of the MSR, put it best when she said, “The ability to support the MSR’s legacy is so important to me. And I love how we gather on this yacht every year and get along so well. Everyone is so friendly and loving. It’s one of the highlights of my year. It’s always a beautiful night.”
Tony Kiene is the executive assistant and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. He welcomes reader responses at tkiene@spokesman-recorder.com.