Future of work workforce equity is the focus of this OIC of America opinion piece on preparing historically overlooked communities to lead in the age of automation and AI.
economic justice
Posted inOpinion
The war against Black workers: Fifty years of attacks
The Black unemployment gap remains significantly higher than the rate for white workers, continuing a long pattern of economic inequality.
Posted inFinances FYI
How to Get Out of Debt and Break the Debt Cycle
Systemic barriers and high-interest debt make financial stability challenging, but practical strategies can help Black families reduce debt and rebuild credit.
Posted inBusiness
Fear exacts a toll on public life
Increased ICE activity across Minneapolis is keeping residents home, reducing foot traffic and hurting local businesses.
Posted inSpecial Edition - Echoes of Unity
Rondo Community Land Trust revives unity and generational wealth in St. Paul
In the Echoes of Unity Special Edition, Rondo Community Land Trust shares how land ownership and housing stability help repair generational harm in Rondo.
Posted inSpecial Edition - Echoes of Unity
Leading with purpose: Lulete Mola and the Black Collective Foundation
In the Echoes of Unity Special Edition, Lulete Mola shares how the Black Collective Foundation uses participatory philanthropy to build lasting community power.
Posted inSpecial Edition - Echoes of Unity
King’s unity required economic justice, Williams says
In the Echoes of Unity Special Edition, historian Yohuru Williams explains why Dr. King’s legacy must include economic justice and moral accountability.
Posted inOpinion
There’s nothing colorblind about U.S. health care system
Rising health insurance premiums in 2026 will fall hardest on Black families, exposing how the system converts racialized harm into profit.
Posted inSpecial Edition - Echoes of Unity
Dr. King’s work lives in the cases Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison litigates
In an Echoes of Unity interview, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison explains how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy lives on through civil rights enforcement, economic justice, and accountability under the rule of law.
Posted inCommunity Voices
Small businesses are the key to economic growth in our community
Small businesses fuel community growth, job creation, and generational wealth. MEDA highlights why investing in BIPOC entrepreneurs strengthens local economies and neighborhoods.
Posted inOpinion
Georgia’s lesson in what Black voter power really means
Black voters in Georgia shifted political power by organizing around Public Service Commission races that directly impact utility costs, proving that local elections can deliver real economic justice.
Posted inNothing but the Truth
Resist MAGA’s efforts to disempower Black women
The rising unemployment rate for Black women reveals deeper political forces shaping labor, power, and leadership in 2025, with clear implications for Minnesota and beyond.
Posted inLocal & State
Target’s DE&I pullback leaves Black local suppliers in limbo
Target’s billion-dollar DEI and supplier diversity push helped some Twin Cities Black entrepreneurs secure national shelf space, jobs and new revenue streams. With the retailer now pulling back from those equity commitments, Black-owned businesses and community partners are feeling the ripple effects in hiring, contracts and long-term wealth building, and are left questioning how durable corporate promises to Black communities really are.
Posted inEvents
Nationwide Economic Boycott Calls for ‘Blackout the System’ During Holiday Shopping Week
A growing grassroots movement is urging Americans to pause their spending and labor during one of the nation’s busiest shopping weeks. The campaign, known as “Blackout the System,” has announced a week-long economic boycott from November 25 to December 2, coinciding with the Thanksgiving retail surge that includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Organizers describe […]
Posted inBusiness
Mpls BIPOC-owned businesses call city contracting unfair
The Minneapolis Small Business Forum at the Mosaic Venue, originally scheduled for last weekend, was rescheduled to Thursday, October 30, after State Sen. Omar Fateh had a family emergency. Mayor Jacob Frey, who did not attend the initial session, was also absent from the rescheduled event, citing growing campaign demands. The forum underscored how the […]
Posted inOpinion
What Black women want and what Virginia needs
All skinfolk ain’t kinfolk. This admonishment came from novelist and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, one of the most prolific Black literary figures of the 20th century. Tracy Chiles McGhee, a Zora Neale Hurston biographer, shares context, noting this reference is loosely drawn from Hurston’s 1942 autobiography, “Dust Tracks on a Road.” Zora unapologetically leaned into […]
Posted inPolitics
Trump delivers ‘massive’ setbacks to the Black middle class
rump’s second-term policies are dismantling supports that built the Black middle class, from federal jobs to housing, education, and business development.
Posted inProfiles In Power
Mpls council candidate knows what it means to rebuild a life from scratch
Profiles in Power: Maurice L. Ward, founder of JIIVE, announces run for Minneapolis City Council in the 5th Ward, bringing lived experience and vision for housing, safety, and economic justice.
Posted inEvents
6th Annual Black Entrepreneur State Fair returns to uplift community and celebrate Black excellence
The Black Entrepreneur State Fair, founded in the wake of the George Floyd uprising, returns to Lake Street Aug. 10–16 for a week of culture, commerce, and connection.