Georgia Fort, founder of BLCK Press and the Center for Broadcast Journalism, has been awarded a Bush Fellowship to expand her leadership training and strengthen Black media.
Vickie Evans-Nash
Vickie Evans-Nash is a contributing writer and former editor in chief at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
Posted inEducation
Architect imagines spaces that best serve people of color
Architect James Garrett Jr. is using his Bush Fellowship to research sustainable design and create spaces that serve people of color.
Posted inEducation
“A seat at the table:” Marvis Kilgore aims to empower Black male teachers through community and code
2025 Bush Fellow Marvis Kilgore is launching a series of statewide roundtables focused on increasing the number of Black male teachers in Minnesota. As executive director of Code Savvy, he’s also leading youth STEM mentorship rooted in community connection.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Cancer survivor becomes a doula for others on the journey
2025 Bush Fellow Talaya Dendy is a 14-year cancer survivor who now supports others as a cancer doula through her organization On the Other Side. Her work focuses on health equity, emotional care, and breaking systemic barriers in cancer support.
Posted inMetro
St. Paul grocer sees health and wealth in good food
Storehouse Grocer & Coffee on St. Paul’s East Side is more than a store—it’s a food justice movement led by Pastor Carl Johnson. From culturally relevant staples to worker ownership, it’s a powerful model for what community-centered food access can look like.
Posted inEducation
MN CHILL provides kids with tools for success
The MN CHILL Foundation, founded by William “Chuck” Hill and Cynthia “Cindy” Hill, aims to provide support to students and young adults through various programs, including a fitness program for children and a tech internship for teens.
Posted inEducation
MN senator’s diverse community reeling from MAGA attacks
Senator Quade is advocating for fertility insurance and universal school meals to address childhood hunger, as well as regulating large corporations and increasing diversity in the Minnesota Legislature.
Posted inBlack History
Local professor and author resists book censors
Professor Duchess Harris has launched “Freedom’s Promise School,” an educational initiative that provides uncensored and inclusive content, in response to the banning of her books and the growing trend of restricting access to literature that tackles sensitive topics like race and gender.
Posted inEducation
Helping the traumatized grow past survival mode
Samuel Simmons, a leading voice in the field of therapy, shares his accidental path to becoming a therapist and his approach to helping Black men overcome trauma and develop compassionate accountability.
Posted inMetro
The art of finding lost ancestors
Anders Genealogical Services, founded by Mica Anders, specializes in reconnecting families with their ancestral stories through genealogical research and the creation of art representing a family’s unique history.
Posted inEducation
Cultural identity, not racialization, can free our children
Professor Mahmoud El-Kati of the Cultural Wellness Center has developed teachings to deconstruct the myth of race and form a new definition of self, with a focus on psychology, as exemplified by Minkara Tezet’s journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Posted inEducation
Teaching the teachers
Timothy Berry, a lifelong Minnesotan, is helping prepare future school principals and district superintendents, while also celebrating Black culture through his talents in music and the arts, and using both roles to remember and build on those who came before us in the effort to move ourselves forward.
Posted inEducation
Toward an education that explores our cultural heritage
The Cultural Wellness Center in Minneapolis is working to redefine freedom for African Americans by shifting the focus from equal rights to self-study, acknowledging history, and honoring culture, and Julia Berry is a key part of this effort.
Posted inDr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Answering the call: Ways to keep King’s dream alive
Martin Luther King Day is a time to remember the legacy of the civil rights leader, with leaders in the Minnesota community commemorating his life and legacy by continuing to answer the call to action.
Posted inDr. Martin Luther King Jr.
King would have made fentanyl crisis a top priority
Pastor Donnell Bratton is calling the community to action in response to the fentanyl crisis, urging them to recognize it as a national emergency and to follow the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in addressing the crisis.
Posted inMetro
Cries for help are ‘coming from everywhere’
Patrica James, the St. Paul NAACP’s office manager, receives calls from all over the state from people seeking help with discrimination and racism, and has heard about incidents in Mankato and Belle Plaine.
Posted inMetro
Minnesota racism then and now – Updating the ongoing struggle
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder has completed a six-part series exploring the state’s racial disparities, and two individuals, Yusef Mgeni and Buster Cooper, have been on the front lines of the fight for racial justice in St. Paul and St. Cloud respectively.
Posted inMetro
Minnesota racism then and now
Community activists such as Buster Cooper and Yousef Mgeni have been fighting for racial justice in Minnesota for years, advocating for equal rights and addressing racism and discrimination in their jobs and communities.
Posted inMetro
Andrea Jenkins offers encouraging words for ‘challenging times’
Council Member Andrea Jenkins is working to ensure opportunities for economic growth, healing, and wellness in Ward 8, including expanding Pillsbury House Theatre to Pillsbury Community Commons, moving KRSM radio station to the new location, and creating a pocket park at the site of the George Floyd memorial.
Posted inBooks
T. Mychael Rambo adds children’s book author to his resume
T. Mychael Rambo, a long-time theater professional and educator, has recently published a children’s book, “The Stories from My Grandmother’s Hands”, which focuses on racialized trauma and the use of music and movement for healing.