St. Paul’s Martin Luther King Community Center came alive as neighbors, families, and elders gathered for Rondo Days, a warm Saturday filled with local food trucks, youth obstacle courses, and classic hip-hop legacy.
News
Timely national, state, and local articles, including profile stories from an African American perspective.
Posted inLocal & State
Voting is a responsibility (Part 1 of 2)
Thomas Jefferson warned that unmonitored governments naturally degenerate into corruption. As Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities face rollbacks on civil rights, active civic engagement and voting are no longer optional, they are our most powerful responsibility.
Posted inNews
Medicaid disruptions are affecting healthcare providers and will disproportionately impact Black Minnesotans
State re-evaluations and IT login migrations have triggered payment delays and provider disenrollment’s across Minnesota’s Medicaid network, threatening essential care for the nearly 44% of Black Minnesotans under 65 who rely on public health coverage.
Posted inLocal & State
Good Trouble’s State of the Youth calls on young people to lead, communities to listen
The Good Trouble State of the Youth event honored John Lewis’s legacy while challenging adults to make room for young people to lead, not just be heard. Contributing writer Lizzy Nyoike has the story.
Posted inLocal & State
Skydio ‘first responder’ drone contract fails in Minneapolis City Council after weeks of resident opposition
Minneapolis’s proposed drone contract with Skydio failed in a 6-6 City Council vote, after residents packed protests citing surveillance concerns and the company’s ties to ICE and the Israeli military. Contributing writer Izzy Canizares has the full story.
Posted inLocal & State
State cannabis board brings record relief directly to the communityÂ
Three years after cannabis legalization, Minnesota’s Cannabis Expungement Board is bringing its work directly to communities, reviewing roughly 98,000 felony cases without requiring residents to hire an attorney. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the full story.
Posted inLocal & State
Minnesota DNR announces state park License plate design contest
The Minnesota DNR is inviting creatives to design the state’s next park license plate, themed around the North Shore and Lake Superior agate. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry breaks down how to enter.
Posted inLocal & State
Minnesota Conviction Review Unit closure leaves some incarcerated individuals and families in limbo
Minnesota’s Conviction Review Unit has abruptly closed after losing federal funding, leaving hundreds of applicants like Adrian Riley without a path to review their cases. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the story.
Posted inLocal & State
Opportunity Crossing opens on site of Wells Fargo branch burned in 2020 uprising
Opportunity Crossing, a new 110-unit affordable housing development, opened on the site of a Wells Fargo branch burned during the George Floyd uprising. Contributing writer Clint Combs has the story behind the project.
Posted inLocal & State
Ramsey County sues federal government over stonewalled Thao investigation
Ramsey County officials sued the Department of Homeland Security July 15, accusing the agency of withholding evidence needed to investigate the detention of a St. Paul man during Operation Metro Surge. Editor Jasmine McBride breaks down the case.
Posted inLocal & State
For this foundation CEO, leadership starts with “clarity is kind”Â
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation President and CEO Chanda Smith Baker is opening up about leadership beyond the resume in her new series, “Power of Possible: Leadership Edition.” Contributing writer Destiny Kromah has the story.
Posted inLocal & State
City of Minneapolis leaders request emergency funds to rehabilitate Heritage Park
Minneapolis is proposing $2.5 million to support Heritage Park residents facing mold and unsafe conditions, as the city and MPHA prepare for possible relocation. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the details.
Posted inLocal & State
Minneapolis residents, leaders to protest Skydio drone program at Federal Courthouse Plaza
Minneapolis residents plan to rally against the proposed Skydio drone trial July 15 at the Federal Courthouse Plaza, a day ahead of the City Council’s final vote. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the details.
Posted inEvents
Get help clearing cannabis-related records through state expungement event
The Minnesota Cannabis Expungement Board is reviewing about 98,000 marijuana-related cases and hosting a public event July 15 to help residents clear past convictions. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry breaks down how the process works.
Posted inNational
National parks charge foreign visitors more, and history gets a harder look
A year after Trump announced a $100-per-person surcharge for foreign visitors at national parks, questions remain about enforcement, alongside removed MLK Day and Juneteenth fee-free days and a Trump portrait now replacing a photo contest winner on the America the Beautiful pass. Contributing writer Anya Armentrout breaks down what’s changed.
Posted inLocal & State
The weight of what we’ve already survived: Community reckons with Patriot Front march
A Patriot Front march in Washington, D.C. on July 4 didn’t touch Minnesota, but its images landed hard here anyway. Editor Jasmine McBride talks with a therapist, a retired judge and a state legislator about a history that keeps repeating.
Posted inLocal & State
Community pushes back on Minneapolis drone pilot program
Forty community members spoke out against a proposed MPD drone pilot at a July 8 committee meeting, none in favor. Contributing writer Ella Stern breaks down the surveillance, data and Skydio-Israel concerns headed to a full council vote July 16.
Posted inLocal & State
West Side St. Paul residents asked to give input on César Chávez Street renaming
As St. Paul moves to rename César Chávez Street, the West Side Community Organization is hosting three input sessions to gather community voices before the process moves forward.
Posted inLocal & State
Free locks and peace of mind being handed out in St. Paul after missing autistic teen is found
Sheletta Brundidge is giving away 100 free interior combination locks to help protect autistic children from wandering during what she calls “drowning season.” Contributing writer Sheletta Brundidge has the story behind the Saturday giveaway.
Posted inNational
Black Business Pioneer, Creator of Popular Cosmetics Products, Johnson Dies at 99
George E. Johnson, whose Johnson Products Company became the first Black-owned business listed on the American Stock Exchange, has died at 99. David Snelling reports on a life that reshaped the Black hair care industry.