About one in four adults in Hennepin and Ramsey counties has been diagnosed with depression, well above the national average, according to CDC estimates. Editor Jasmine McBride looks at what the numbers do and do not show.
Jasmine McBride
Posted inArts + Culture
Springboard’s new leader starts by listeningÂ
Ilah Raleigh, a performing artist, educator and author, took over as executive director of Springboard for the Arts on Oct. 1. She talks with Editor Jasmine McBride about relational leadership, guaranteed income for artists and building on the work of longtime staff.
Posted inLocal & State
Black unemployment in Minnesota hits 10.5%
Black Minnesotans are out of work at more than twice the rate of the state’s overall workforce, with unemployment at 10.5% in August. State economists say they can’t yet explain why Minnesota’s rate has stayed above the national rate all year. Editor Jasmine McBride has the story.
Posted inLocal & State
Flow Foundation’s ‘Crown Within’ event creates space for healing during Alopecia Awareness Month
Flow Foundation’s “The Crown Within” brought women navigating alopecia and medical hair loss together for a day of community and self-acceptance, while Pfizer pledged its support after finding few organizations doing similar work.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
$INZU founder marks five years modernizing Ankara fashion
Temilola Okunola started her fashion brand $INZU at 19 with no roadmap. Five years later, she’s modernizing Ankara style, expanding to the Mall of America, and proving that faith and consistency pay off.
Posted inLocal & State
Boycott leaders demand accountability from Target over racist Halloween costume
National Target Boycott organizers gathered outside Target’s Minneapolis headquarters to demand full transparency over an offensive children’s costume. Activists argue a corporate apology isn’t enough as DEI rollbacks and unfulfilled commitments come under fresh scrutiny.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Kelly’s Candles turns wax into works of art
For candle artist Kelly, a flame isn’t just about scent, it’s about sculpture, sustainability, and honoring the memories of loved ones.
Posted inBusiness
Minnesota advocate says candidates are avoiding small business questions as federal contracting rules shift
Small business advocate Lynn Pingol says Minnesota’s governor and Senate candidates avoided her proposed debate on federal contracting rollbacks, even as legislation threatens key SBA programs. Editor Jasmine McBride has the story.
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 inNews
Dr. Josie Johnson reflects on Cecil Newman, the Black press and a life of advocacy
As the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder marks 92 years, civil rights icon Dr. Josie Johnson shares why controlling our own narratives remains the ultimate form of advocacy.
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
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 inYouth Financial Education
Goal setting: Mapping your short and long-term financial future
Joel Carrasquillo didn’t wait for a full-time salary to learn how money works. As he prepares to start his career with Vanguard, he talks about building financial habits early, and why financial literacy is bigger than any one person’s bank account.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Extreme heat, rising risk: What it means for Black Twin Cities hearts
Extreme heat is putting real strain on the heart this summer, and in the Twin Cities, that risk falls hardest on communities of color. Associate Editor Jasmine McBride breaks down the racial gap, the warning signs and how to stay safe.
Posted inLocal & State
Elders reflect on struggle, survival and hope at Juneteenth brunch
Black Lives Matter Minnesota gathered elders, advocates and community members for a Juneteenth morning brunch honoring Valerie Castile, Jeweliean Jackson and others who have carried the movement, with MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard also recognized with a Celebrating Revolutionary Sistas award.
Posted inNews
Stolen Lives: The Karmelo Anthony case and the families left behind
MSR editor Jasmine McBride connects the 35-year sentence handed to Karmelo Anthony in Texas, the continued trauma of Diamond Reynolds a decade after Philando Castile’s murder and the fight for the Marvina Haynes Act at the Minnesota Capitol, tracing a through line of racial injustice that demands repair.
Posted inLocal & State
Twin Cities honored with JFK Profile in Courage Award for resisting Metro Surge
The people of the Twin Cities received the 2026 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on May 31, honored for risking their lives to protect neighbors and immigrant community members during Operation Metro Surge.
Posted inEducation
Rising to the Bar: Minnesota’s Next Generation of Black Lawyers Won’t Back Down
Seven Black law graduates from the University of Minnesota, Mitchell Hamline and St. Thomas are entering the legal profession with purpose, carrying lived experience and a commitment to representing communities that have historically gone without.
Posted inMSR Business
Rebuilding Together Minnesota: How Home Repair Strengthens Communities and Local Economies
In this episode of MSR Business, Associate Editor Jasmine McBride talks with Rebuilding Together Minnesota Executive Director Kathy Greiner about how essential home repairs protect families, strengthen neighborhoods, and support local economies. The conversation highlights the organization’s work across the state and the broader impact of investing in safe and stable housing.
Posted inLocal & State
Cuts threaten federal support for children with disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education is exploring relocating its special education programs, weeks after the Trump administration laid off nearly all staff in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), according to a department spokesperson. In a brief statement sent to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s media partner Word in Black, Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for […]