Pushed out of Division III for being too dominant, the University of St. Thomas fast-tracked its way to full Division I status. As national exposure grows, MSR examines the numbers behind the program’s athletic success and its diversity efforts.
Charles Hallman
Posted inCoaching while Black
Coaching while Black: New chances and new voices
From junior college sidelines to high school gridirons, Black coaches in Minnesota are paving pathways for youth, proving that representation on the whistle changes lives on and off the field.
Posted inBlack College Sports Report
SWAC coaches sound off as HBCU football season kicks into gear
With the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in the books, HBCU football is in full swing. Dive into what SWAC head coaches are saying about preseason hype, college football chaos, and big matchups ahead.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Taylor, Smith give Gophers reasons for optimism
As the Minnesota Gophers kick off its 2026 season against Eastern Illinois, running back Darius Taylor and defensive lineman Anthony Smith step up as the heart and hustle of Dinkytown. Here is how mentorship, family motivation, and unfinished business brought them back to lead.
Posted inAnother View
Could this college athletes’ union finally stick?
Previous attempts to unionize college players for some reason or another failed without getting any meaningful traction. Over 100 women’s college basketball players last month signed union cards with the new United College Athletes Association (UCAA). The Oregon State players at the same time filed a formal petition with the state for collective bargaining. In […]
Posted inOdds and Ends
Culpepper’s early flashes give Twins a look at their future
Rookie shortstop Kaelen Culpepper is already making waves in a Minnesota Twins uniform. Sports Columnist Charles Hallman breaks down Culpepper’s big-league adjustment, praise from veterans, and what his arrival signals for the franchise.
Posted inArts + Culture
Talent agent Tiauna Jackson breaks barriers in Hollywood, fights for the underrepresented
When Hollywood began rolling back its diversity initiatives, Tiauna Jackson doubled down. From navigating systemic bias to launching her own agency and earning a law degree, the history-making talent agent shares her journey of advocating for the industry’s most underrepresented talent.
Posted inArts + Culture
Lenny McAllister’s new book challenges echo chambers, calls for a return to faith and second chances
From walking away from basketball, reinventing his career and navigating political commentary, Lenny McAllister shares how faith and second chances can shatter today’s toxic echo chambers.
Posted inAnother View
Staurowsky: Transgender athlete backlash masks bigger threats to Title IX
Sports equity expert Dr. Ellen Staurowsky says the panic over transgender athletes is a distraction from a bigger playbook: rolling back Title IX and undermining college athletes’ rights. Sports columnist Charles Hallman continues his conversation in this second installment.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Lynx’s Kosu adjusting to physical game, English, in second season
Minnesota Lynx forward Anastasiia Olairi Kosu opens up about honoring her late father’s legacy and adjusting to the WNBA’s physicality. Plus, the Timberwolves’ move to DAZN becomes the latest hit to local sports fans’ wallets.
Posted inSports
Sam Lacy Pioneer Awards honor nine trailblazers in Atlanta
The 2026 Sam Lacy Pioneer Awards honored nine Black sports and journalism trailblazers in Atlanta, including WNBA legends Renee Montgomery and Angel McCoughtry, Olympic great Edwin Moses, and Billye Aaron, widow of Hank Aaron. Sports columnist Charles Hallman was there.
Posted inMSR In the News
MSR marks 92 years of telling our own story
As MSR marks 92 years, longtime contributors Jerry Freeman and Charles Hallman reflect on decades in the Black Press and the truths only it can tell. Editor Jasmine McBride has their story.
Posted inSports
AEW’s Anthony Bowens on diversity, physicality and his path to wrestling
AEW star Anthony Bowens opened up about wrestling’s physical toll, the company’s commitment to diverse talent, and how quitting college baseball paved his path to the ring.
Posted inAnother View
Fear strikes again: the manufactured panic over transgender athletes
Trans athletes make up less than 0.002% of college sports, yet politicians and media figures continue to stoke fear. MSR Sports Columnist Charles Hallman breaks down the science, the WNBA noise, and the reality behind the outrage.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Blacklight on Sports: Justus Dayee on State Tournaments, Entrepreneurship, and Carrying the Legacy of Clyde Turner
At 15, Justus Dayee has played state tournament basketball, run his own business, and carries the legacy of his late grandfather, Clyde Turner. He joins Blacklight on Sports to tell his story.
Posted inLynx/WNBA
WNBA All-Star game in Chi-town
The WNBA becomes the first U.S. pro sports league to host events at the Obama Presidential Center as All-Star Weekend returns to Chicago. Sports columnist Charles Hallman and broadcaster Cindy Brunson break down a surprising first half of the season.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Renee Brown’s WNBA legacy runs deeper than she’ll admit
Renee Brown helped build the WNBA from day one but rarely gets credit for it. At the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, sports columnist Charles Hallman caught up with her, and with founding president Val Ackerman, on the league’s 30-year legacy.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Black players carry the Twins system into the All-Star break
From an injured Futures Game selection to a Twins pitcher’s back-to-back strikeout gems, sports columnist Charles Hallman rounds up four storylines from Black baseball players in and around the Twins organization.
Posted inAnother View
Don’t erase the Black players who built the W
Caitlin Clark isn’t the WNBA’s savior, and Black players built the league over three decades, says sports scholar Dr. F. Michelle Richardson. Sports columnist Charles Hallman also has an update from Timberwolves Summer League in Vegas.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Blacklight on Sports: Joshua Brown on Going Pro, Playing for the Lynx, and a 51-Point Farewell to the Canary Islands
From a late-blooming role player at Park Center to a 51-point farewell in the Canary Islands, Joshua Brown joins Blacklight on Sports to talk about five years at Duluth, his first pro season, and life as a Minnesota Lynx practice player.