Minneapolis Black Business Week 2026 runs July 23 through Aug. 2 with a packed lineup of conferences, certification workshops, street markets and festivals celebrating and investing in the city’s Black business community.
Minneapolis
Posted inEvents
A soulful celebration to come at 1st annual Northside Jazz & Heritage Festival
North Minneapolis is making history with its first-ever free Jazz Festival the community-owned celebration honors the Northside’s deep musical roots, featuring live soul, R&B, local vendors, and family activities.
Posted inParent Power
Parent Power: After families show up
As Minneapolis Public Schools moves through its Transformation process, columnist Khulia F. Pringle argues that engaging families isn’t the same as showing them their voices actually shaped the outcome.
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 inEvents
Free health screenings and family activities featured at upcoming Minneapolis cancer expo
The Colors of Cancer, Health & Wellness Expo offers free cancer and health screenings for the community July 25 at the University of Minnesota. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the details.
Posted inOpinion
S.4390 is a direct attack on women-owned businesses, Black women will pay the highest price
WORDPRESS EXCERPT
A bill in Congress would eliminate the Women-Owned Small Business federal contracting program, a move MaKee Company CEO R. Lynn Pingol warns could strip $540 billion in revenue nationally and $2.2 billion from the Twin Cities alone.
Posted inEvents
Midwest Black Book Fair comes to North Minneapolis
The 2026 Midwest Black Book Fair honors Black storytelling and resistance for Black August, featuring author panels, publishing workshops and raffles at UROC in North Minneapolis. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the full lineup.
Posted inEvents
Brooklyn Center fundraiser event supports 30K-Square-Foot event space
McNeal Management is celebrating the land launch of a new 30,000-square-foot business and event center for Black entrepreneurs in Brooklyn Center with a free outdoor celebration. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the details.
Posted inBest of Black Businesses
Best of Black Business 2026: Meet the 50 Finalists
Voting is open for the Second Annual Best of Black Business Awards. Meet the 50 finalists across five categories, from soul food kitchens to design studios, representing the best in Black-owned business across Minnesota.
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 inWhat's Hot
What’s Hot: Twin Cities Weekend Events, July 17-19
From a BIPOC treats walk to Rondo Days, here’s what’s happening across the Twin Cities July 17-19.
Posted inDigital Editions
MSR Digital Edition 50 for July 16 – July 22, 2026
The MSR Digital Edition 50 for July 16 – July 22, 2026 is now live. Explore community news, sports, arts, and events. Edition 50, Volume 92.
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 inBlack Business Spotlight
Tribe Federal Credit Union brings community-rooted banking to Midtown
Tribe Federal Credit Union, the nation’s first provisionally chartered credit union, opened its doors at Midtown Global Market, bringing a mission-driven financial institution to South Minneapolis. Contributing writer Fela Jamal has the story.
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 inArts + Culture
New Minneapolis mural imagines Black and Indigenous futures among the starsÂ
Leslie Barlow’s new 66-by-33-foot mural, “Belonging to the Entire Universe,” brings Afrofuturism and Mae Jemison’s legacy to downtown Minneapolis. Callisto Martinez reports on the piece and the artist behind it.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
How four Black women bosses define wellness
Four Black women leaders across ministry, disability care, water healing and the arts share what wellness means to them, and how they’ve built leadership around it. Contributing writer Tiffany Johnson has their stories.
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.