In Episode 5 of the Strength and Strategy Series, Tracey’s Keepin’ it Real with Business focuses on networking and mentorship as non-negotiables for long term success. Tracey, Octavia “Tav” Treadway, and Tommy McNeal talk about stepping into Black chambers, community cooperatives, incubators, and peer circles that are built to help you level up. If you have ever felt like you are building your business alone, this episode offers clear steps to move from isolated to supported.
Minneapolis
Posted inEvents
Echoes of Unity: Honoring 40 Years of Minnesota’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Echoes of Unity is a special edition created to honor the 40th anniversary of Minnesota’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebration. The commemorative publication highlights the history of the event, spotlights community leaders and lifts up the voices continuing Dr. King’s work in neighborhoods, schools and public institutions across Minnesota. Sponsorship opportunities are now open.
Posted inEducation
Minneapolis schools avoid strike, but staff wages still lag
Minneapolis teachers have voted to ratify a new contract and avert a strike, bringing relief to families worried about classroom disruptions. The agreement includes gains for adult education teachers and modest raises for some education support professionals, but ESPs say pay still lags far behind the cost of living. Educators warn that Black students and Black staff remain concentrated in under resourced roles and schools, and say the contract is only a first step toward real equity.
Posted inBooks
‘Natural Order’ explores love, trauma and renewal
Donika Kelly’s “The Natural Order of Things” opens with the familiar warmth of Black gatherings and uses bones as a powerful symbol to explore love, queerness, community and healing. With lyrical precision, Kelly moves between tenderness, political awareness and the natural world, offering a collection that speaks to survival and the ongoing work of living in one’s body with honesty and joy.
Posted inLocal & State
Future of George Floyd Square still in doubt
A last ditch effort is underway at Minneapolis City Hall to revive a mixed use redevelopment plan for George Floyd Square. The intersection has been at the center of debate for years as council members, residents and community groups clash over whether the site should become a pedestrian mall or remain fully accessible to transit. With a new report due in early December and the current council’s final meeting approaching, the future of the square hangs in the balance.
Posted inLocal & State
Federal ‘POLICE’ raid on St. Paul business creates fear, confusion
Masked federal agents raided the Bro Tex facility in St. Paul without warning, detaining workers and frightening nearby families. City officials say they had no advance notice and stressed that St. Paul police were not involved. Advocates and civil rights groups condemned the use of unidentified agents and the use of force on protesters, warning that the raid eroded public trust and left immigrant and marginalized communities feeling unsafe.
Posted inLocal & State
National boycott brings Target ‘to its knees’
Days before the holiday shopping rush, civil rights leaders gathered in Minneapolis urging Minnesotans to continue the Target boycott. They argue the retailer rolled back its DEI commitments, harmed Black and immigrant communities, and is now relying on steep price cuts to recover from months of declining sales. Organizers say the boycott will continue until Target recommits to its racial equity promises made after George Floyd’s murder.
Posted inLocal & State
MPD accused of hiding lethal incompetence
Davis Moturi is alive to tell his story. Allison Lussier, an Indigenous woman, and Mariah Samuels, a Black woman, are not. The pattern is tragically familiar: people of color repeatedly calling 911, warning police about violent neighbors or ex-partners, doing everything authorities ask, only to be met with inaction. Lussier and Samuels were killed this […]
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 inSports
The pain and insult of rewritten history
Maya Washington has spent years fighting inaccurate portrayals of her father, Gene Washington, and the pioneering Black athletes of Michigan State. Now she is calling for stronger NIL protections for legacy athletes whose names and images sit in archives with little oversight. Washington warns that if institutions can mishandle the legacy of a Hall of Famer, younger athletes could face even bigger risks in the new NIL landscape.
Posted inLocal & State
Jellybean Johnson: A legacy of joy and genius
Jellybean Johnson was thunder on stage and gentle at home, a drummer, guitarist and producer whose joy lit up Minneapolis for decades. Loved ones and musical peers recall his role in shaping the Minneapolis Sound, mentoring “nephews” in the scene and building the Minneapolis Sound Museum to keep the culture alive for the next generation.
Posted inDigital Editions
MSR Digital Edition for November 27 – December 3, 2025
The MSR Digital Edition for November 27 – December 3, 2025 is now live. Explore community news, sports, arts, and events. Edition 17, Volume 92.
Posted inEvents
Minneapolis Set to Glow for the Winterapolis Light Up and Winter Kickoff
Minneapolis is launching the winter season with the Winterapolis Light Up and Winter Kickoff on November 28. The free family event features holiday markets, crafts, live music, trolley rides, and a citywide lighting ceremony on Nicollet Mall and inside IDS Crystal Court.
Posted inLocal & State
Federal Shutdown Ends and SNAP Benefits Return to Normal Schedule in Minnesota
SNAP and MFIP benefits are officially restored following the end of the federal shutdown. Minnesota families can now access regular payment schedules again. Here is how to apply, renew, replace EBT cards, and use WIC and document drop box locations.
Posted inSister Spokesman
Sister Spokesman presents: Pause. Breathe. Heal.
In a world that rarely slows down, Sister Spokesman continues to be a space where Black women and our broader community gather to learn, uplift one another, and grow stronger together. As we close out the year, we invite you to join us for an afternoon dedicated entirely to mental wellness, intentional rest, and the […]
Sponsored
Benjamin E. Mays to Become Afrocentric School by Fall 2026
Saint Paul Public Schools will launch an Afrocentric program at Benjamin E. Mays in fall 2026, centering African American culture and improving student outcomes while keeping core academic instruction in place.
Posted inLocal & State
Minneapolis council members back arresting federal agents who violate law
Minneapolis City Council members Jason Chavez, Elliot Payne, and Robin Wonsley said Nov. 14 that local police could, and should, arrest federal agents if they fail to identify themselves or wear face coverings. Their comments come as the city prepares to negotiate a new police contract, set to expire in December. Members of the Minnesota […]
Posted inAnother View
‘Playing the Game’ calls out stereotyping of Black athletes
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in St. Paul will host a new book launch on Wednesday, Nov. 19, of Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green III’s first book, “Playing the Game: Embodied Brilliance beyond the Moral Limits of Race in Sport” (Fortress Press). Green is a pastoral theology and social transformation associate professor and […]
Posted inLocal & State
Waymo Brings Self-Driving Cars to Minneapolis, Raising Big Questions About Safety, Jobs, and the Future of Transit
Waymo has begun testing self driving vehicles in Minneapolis, launching a major conversation about safety, winter performance, jobs, and the future of transportation in Minnesota.
Posted inLet them Rise
Disabling the ‘school-to-prison pipeline’
Richard D. Terrell breaks down how the school to prison pipeline impacts Black boys and offers real strategies for schools, families and communities to disable the system. His column calls for shifting from punishment to restoration so Black boys can rise.