Community members, elected officials and family braved the rain Oct. 27 to unveil the honorary Mahmoud El-Kati Avenue, celebrating the educator and historian who has shaped generations of Black Minnesotans. El-Kati answered with a simple message: “Thank you. I love you.”
Damenica Ellis
Powered by
Constructing a legacy: Two Buckner generations lead Moltron
Pat and Babette Buckner built Moltron Builders around a division of expertise, hiring from the community and a family planning process where everyone takes a turn leading. Powered by JPMorgan Chase, this MSR On the Radar episode features Damenica Ellis talking with the Buckners.
Posted inMSR On the Radar
Why Par365 was founded to drive community and diversity in golf
Thomas Jackson found golf during the pandemic and turned it into Par365, a Roseville indoor golf simulator, bar, restaurant and event space built to make the sport more accessible, affordable and approachable. He talks with Damenica Ellis on MSR On the Radar.
Posted inMSR On the Radar
LeBrent Speed builds intentional networks for Black entrepreneurs, combining commerce and community
LeBrent Speed founded The Better Black Business (B3) Project to combine commerce and community for Black entrepreneurs and authentic allies. He talks with MSR On the Radar about serving before selling, his new book and expanding to new cities.
Posted inMSR On the Radar
Terresa Hardaway builds community and Black liberation through business and design
Terresa Hardaway runs two Twin Cities businesses, a social justice design studio and a Black-owned bookstore, while teaching at the University of Minnesota. She says the best part of owning a business is the chance to build community on purpose.
Posted inYouth Financial Education
Credit essentials: Roots Cafe shift lead builds credit early
After earning a raise at Roots Cafe, 19-year-old Jackeline Mejia took control of her finances by learning to build credit early, avoid debt, and practice smart saving habits.
Posted inSister Spokesman
Knowledge beats fear: Sister Spokesman talks cancer
Community leaders and survivors gathered at LifeSource in Minneapolis for the Sister and Brother Spokesman event to tackle cancer health disparities, urge early screenings, and break the silence around breast, colon, and prostate cancers in the Black community.
Posted inYouth Financial Education
MSR Youth Financial Education Series: Elijah Moore on Emergency Funds, Generational Wealth, and Why Financial Literacy Changes Communities
Elijah Moore’s goal isn’t to get rich, it’s to build generational wealth so the next generation never starts from zero. In this MSR Youth Financial Education Series installment, sponsored by JPMorganChase, Moore breaks down why emergency funds matter and how financial literacy could reshape entire communities.
Posted inLocal & State
Minneapolis NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner and Angela Davis unite community around justice
Nearly 500 community members gathered for the Minneapolis NAACP’s annual Freedom Fund Dinner, featuring keynote speaker Angela Davis, who emphasized the necessity of intergenerational movements and persistent activism.
Posted inOn the Radar
iLLism’s Emanuel and Fancy Are Building Community Through Music, Art, and the Legacy Building
Sponsored by: Hubbs Center – Adult Basic Education – On the Radar host Damenica Ellis sits down with iLLism duo Emanuel and Fancy to discuss their journey from solo artists to community builders, the Legacy Building, the Creative Freedom Fund and what is coming next including Soul of the Southside and Fancy’s debut children’s book.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
The Purposed Parent: Sister Duo Delivers Essential Prenatal and Postpartum Support
Nigerian American sisters Praise and Peace Olowokere founded The Purposed Parent in 2022 to provide culturally competent prenatal and postpartum support for Twin Cities families, with a mission rooted in reducing Black maternal and infant mortality.
Posted inArts + Culture
Pangea World Theater Secures Permanent Home, Expanding Lake Street Arts Corridor
Pangea World Theater has acquired 3020 Minnehaha Ave., securing a permanent home near the former Third Precinct as one of the only immigrant-owned businesses to rebuild in the area following the 2020 unrest.
Posted inMSR On the Radar
iLLism: The South Minneapolis Duo Building a Creative Legacy
Twin Cities hip-hop duo iLLism, consisting of husband-and-wife creators Fancy and Emmanuel Duncan, have evolved from a successful musical act into powerful community builders. Through CRWN Media, the Legacy Building, and the Soul of the Southside festival, they are actively rewriting the narrative for local creatives.
Posted inOn the Radar
Curator, Artivist and Practitioner of Joy Esther Callahan Is Building a Black Art Economy in Minnesota
On the Radar host Damenica Ellis sits down with Minneapolis artivist and curator Esther Callahan, who built the BLK Collectors to ensure Black artists are seen, supported and paid, and who distributed handmade art kits to families during Operation Metro Surge.
Posted inOn the Radar
On the Radar: Kprecia Ambers, Visual Artist and Digital Creator
On the Radar host Damenica Ellis sits down with Minneapolis visual artist Kprecia Ambers, whose vibrant figurative work centers Black beauty, self-love and representation with a simple intention: putting love into the world.
Posted inMSR On the Radar
Caring through art: How ‘artivist’ Esther Callahan cultivates Black creative spaces
Twin Cities artivist and curator Esther Callahan shares how she transformed personal trauma into a lifelong mission of healing, launching The BLK Collectors to uplift Black artists and investors.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
U of M Expert Says Hantavirus Risk Is Low, While Nurse Has Concerns and Elder Combats Distrust
A University of Minnesota infectious disease expert says the risk of a widespread hantavirus outbreak remains low, but a frontline nurse and the Cultural Wellness Center director say preparedness, consistent information and community trust are critical.
Posted inMSR On the Radar
Kprecia Ambers uses digital art to foster representation and connection
North Minneapolis native Kprecia Ambers is transforming the world of digital illustration. Through her brand, KP Inspires, she creates soulful artwork designed to foster representation, celebrate Black beauty, and bring warmth into everyday home spaces.
Posted inOn the Radar
Emmy Award-Winning Artist PaviElle French Is Rooted in Rondo and Building for the Future
On the Radar host Damenica Ellis sits down with Emmy-winning Rondo native PaviElle French for a deep conversation about grief, sovereignty, community, and decades of creative work rooted in the heart of Black Minnesota.
Posted inMSR On the Radar
From Maya Angelou to the Emmy Stage, The Interdisciplinary Life of PaviElle French
From performing for Maya Angelou at age 10 to winning an Emmy for her documentary, Rondo native PaviElle French has spent her life refining a craft that blends soul, theater, and community activism