HERC trash incinerator residents describe living next to a facility that sounds like an airport tarmac, causes respiratory illness and sits in a majority-Black community absorbing pollution from across Hennepin County.
Local & State
A space for original local news with an emphasis on stories pertaining to African Americans
Posted inPolitics
A new poll tax? How the SAVE Act impacts Black, unhoused and female voters
The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and advocates say it would disproportionately harm Black elders, unhoused residents and millions of eligible voters who lack required documents.
Posted inLocal & State
St. Paul residents hope Midway development brings needed resources back to neighborhoods
The Midway neighborhood in St. Paul is in transition as United Village development rises near Allianz Field while a neighboring block sits largely vacant after the closure of major grocery and retail stores.
Posted inCommunity Voices
20 years of answering the call
Power of People Leadership Institute celebrates 20 years of community impact, having reached more than 7,000 girls, 1,500 boys and 6,000 formerly incarcerated community members through Girls in Action, Boys of Hope and the RePlanting Program.
Posted inBusiness
Why people are opting out of hustle culture, choosing lifestyle over work
Hustle culture and Black burnout explored by two therapists who say opting out is not failure but a necessary corrective to a system built on extraction and overwork.
Posted inLocal & State
Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office steps into the light
Missing Murdered Black Women Girls Minnesota Day on the Hill 2026 brings impacted families to the State Capitol as Amarie Alowonle’s mother speaks out for justice.
Posted inLocal & State
Rest in Power: Minnesota Loses a True Warrior in Yusef Mgeni
Yusef Mgeni obituary honors the Black Minnesota historian, community organizer and St. Paul NAACP leader whose generational legacy will echo for decades to come.
Posted inLocal & State
Tenant union wins more than $49,500 in court fines from building landlord
Brentwood Tenants Union wins more than $49,500 in Hennepin County court fines from Quadrel Realty in one of the largest tenant union victories in Housing Court history.
Posted inLocal & State
Black Man Allegedly Denied Entry at Cities Church; Activists Raise Pattern of Discrimination at Press Conference
Cities Church allegedly denied a Black man entry to worship in St. Paul as civil rights activists allege discrimination and retaliation tied to the Righteous 39 protest arrests.
Posted inLocal & State
Woman Arrested Outside St. Paul Church on Easter Sunday Has Charges Dismissed
Emily Phillips Cities Church arrest charges were dismissed by a Ramsey County judge after she spent Easter Sunday in jail for protesting outside the St. Paul congregation.
Posted inLocal & State
Rondo CLT plans community-centered future for former St. Paul Sears
Rondo Community Land Trust acquires the former Sears site in St. Paul in its largest deal to date, a $10.8 million acquisition of 17 acres vacant since 2019.
Posted inLocal & State
2026 Twin Cities CARES Barbershop Final Four Men’s Wellness and Mentor Recruitment Kick-Off
Twin Cities CARES mentor recruitment barbershop event gathered more than 40 Black men at Urban Touch Barbershop in South Minneapolis for a wellness and mentorship kickoff.
Posted inLocal & State
Food deserts persist, but local organizations are fighting back
Food deserts in the Twin Cities affect nearly 900,000 Minnesotans. Here is how community organizations are working to restore grocery access in underserved neighborhoods.
Posted inLocal & State
Next generation leaders: Young women reshaping politics, art, and activism in Minnesota
Young women leaders in Minnesota politics and activism are passing legislation, mobilizing voters and building movements from high school hallways to the State Capitol.
Posted inLocal & State
No Kings rally in draws massive crowd
No Kings rally at the Minnesota State Capitol drew more than 100,000 people, making it the largest event of its kind to date, with national artists and elected officials on the program.
Posted inLocal & State
Twin Cities parks plans aim to close equity gaps
Minneapolis parks equity plan is ahead of schedule with 46 capital projects completed and every neighborhood park on track for renovation by 2036.
Posted inEvents
Minnesotans Join Millions Nationwide at No Kings Rally at the State Capitol
The No Kings rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on March 28 joined millions nationwide demanding democracy, civil rights and voting rights protections.
Posted inPolitics
Minneapolis council members, leaders oppose $38 million police training center
The Minneapolis police training center proposal faces pushback from council members and community leaders who question the cost and timing amid ongoing budget strain.
Posted inPolitics
Twin Cities Take Different Paths on Tenant Protections
St. Paul passes a 60-day pre-eviction notice ordinance as Minneapolis falls two votes short of overriding Mayor Frey’s veto of a similar tenant protection measure.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Hunger Strikers Give Hennepin County a Deadline on HERC
HERC incinerator North Minneapolis closure is being demanded by hunger strikers and residents as a former EPA scientist confirms significantly higher cancer risk near the facility.