The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood where the proposed Africa Village will be located. Many Cedar-Riverside residents fear gentrification, neglect of other needs The project, known as Africa Village, was the focal point of Minneapolis City Councilmember Abdi Warsame’s reelection campaign for Ward Six. Warsame has sought to make good on his promise of delivering a mall to the … [Read more...]
Trauma-informed instruction a priority for school board candidate
Mary Frances Clardy After spending 23 years in the classroom, Mary Frances Clardy plans to bring change on the policy level with her campaign for the school board in Inver Grove Heights ISD 199. Clardy’s experiences in the classroom and her own educational journey has led her to believe that the students deserve a more engaged and personalized curriculum that can address … [Read more...]
Inner Hero bridges gulf between youth and cops
Ambrose R. Russell with Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo Born in Liberia to a single mother during the country’s first civil war, Ambrose R. Russell’s life is no stranger to struggle and conflict. As the founder and executive director of Inner Hero, an organization dedicated to mentoring young men and women in the Twin Cities, Russell saw his life circumstances and … [Read more...]
Pothole frustrations launch council campaign
Alexander Bourne Once an up-and-coming businessman in New Orleans, Alexander Bourne looks to make his mark in politics with his run for a city council seat in St. Paul. He plans to emphasize the need for individuals to make their voices heard by exercising their right to vote, a right that Bourne himself nearly lost in a controversial incident. Bourne grew up near Payne … [Read more...]
Candidate seeks city hall seat as next phase of her activism
Danielle Swift After years of serving as a community advocate, Danielle Swift of St. Paul is running for the city’s Ward 6 council seat. This move pivots her community organizing work—she is currently on contract as a community organizer through the Frogtown Neighborhood Association—toward a life of policymaking as an elected official. Swift grew up in St. Paul’s East … [Read more...]