WNBA Hall of Famer Lindsay Whalen returns to the All-Star Game as an assistant coach for Team Collier. After two years away from coaching, the Minnesota Lynx legend says she’s right where she belongs — back in the gym.
Minneapolis
Posted inAnother View
NBA Summer League keeps us busy in Vegas
Minnesota Timberwolves guards Terrance Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham are showing poise and potential in their second NBA Summer League. With strong performances and coach praise, they’re part of a broader Minnesota basketball presence in Vegas.
Posted inOdds and Ends
De La Salle grad and Colts rookie is feeling blessed
Indianapolis Colts rookie Jalen Travis reflects on his first months as a pro football player. The DeLaSalle grad and Minneapolis native is embracing the grind of OTAs and looking ahead to fall training camp with a deep sense of gratitude and drive.
Posted inMusic
Obi Original fuses heritage, healing and highlife in new single
Obi Original blends classic highlife with urgent diasporic commentary in “Who Man Dem? (We Never Reconcile),” a single that asks difficult questions about unity, belonging, and cultural memory.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Mind the Crown
Adrianna Willis founded Mind the Crown to empower Black women through self-care, affirmation and mental health advocacy. Her work amplifies the message that therapy, boundaries and joy are essential.
Posted inArts + Culture
From MSP piano to TikTok fan base
Grammy-nominated pianist David Billingsley launched CLAB, Minnesota’s first TikTok Creator Network. Backed by TikTok, CLAB offers free support for artists and creatives looking to grow and monetize their work in the digital space.
Posted inCommunity Voices
In case no one ever told you this, you should be a teacher
With fewer than 50 Black men teaching in Minnesota elementary schools, this personal reflection from St. Paul delivers a stirring message: our boys are being lost in a system that doesn’t see them. The solution starts with more Black men in the classroom.
Posted inPolitics
Local leaders condemn GOP’s ‘Big Ugly’ budget bill
Minnesota leaders gathered at Sabathani Community Center to condemn a newly passed Republican federal budget that slashes Medicaid, SNAP, and education funding while boosting ICE enforcement and tax breaks for the wealthy. Rep. Ilhan Omar, Irene Fernando, Omar Fateh, Sydney Jordan, and others are urging the public to take action.
Posted inLocal & State
Lydia Millard draws on lived experience, logistics know-how in bid for Ward 10 seat
Logistics professional and longtime community organizer Lydia Millard is running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 10. Her campaign promises real access to leadership, safer streets, housing reform, and stronger support for small businesses and working families.
Posted inHealth + Wellness, Local & State
New ‘medical clinic on wheels’ will meet people where they are
Minneapolis will launch a Mobile Medical Unit this August to expand health care access in underserved neighborhoods and help combat the opioid crisis. Services include screenings, harm reduction tools, and culturally specific care.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports, Podcasts
Performance, Pressure & the Mental GameFeaturing Dr. Kirbi Kidd, Psy.D.
Sport psychologist Dr. Kirbi Kidd joins Blacklight On Sports to explore the mental challenges that athletes face. From building resilience to culturally competent care, she offers insight from both research and experience.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
W&W Protection
W&W Protection is more than a security firm. Founder Will Dinga built it to offer men with complicated pasts a shot at stability, growth, and leadership — proving that one opportunity can change everything.
Posted inMusic
Lewiee Blaze to release ‘ONE OF ONE’ album on major platforms following Juneteenth tour
Lewiee Blaze is reintroducing his 11-track album “ONE OF ONE” to a wider audience. The introspective project marks a powerful shift in the Minneapolis artist’s sound and message.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Commemorating the CROWN Act, ‘It’s our hair, It’s our right’
The CROWN Act protects Black Minnesotans from hair discrimination. But stylists say it’s also a call to affirm the beauty, identity, and resilience that’s always been there.
Posted inLocal & State
Minnesota’s Haitian community at risk for deportation as Trump ends TPS designation
With TPS ending for Haitians, thousands in the U.S. — including longtime Minnesota residents — are facing job loss, deportation, and separation from the only homes they’ve known for over a decade.
Supported
Posted inHelp Is Here
Turning Point honored for cultural grounding in the fight against addiction
In North Minneapolis, Turning Point offers culturally grounded recovery programs that focus on trust, community, and healing. Nearly 50 years later, its impact continues to grow.
Posted in4UR HEALTH
Trauma, Heart Health, and Healing in Black Communities
4UR HEALTH dives deep into how trauma affects cardiovascular health, with special guests Dr. Ida Tchuisseu Fonkoue and Sam Simmons joining Dr. Ronda Marie Chakolis-Hassan for a healing-centered discussion.
Posted inMSR In the News
MSR publisher twice honored during Juneteenth
Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, was honored with two Juneteenth awards for her contributions to Black media, legacy, and leadership.
Posted inEducation
Normandale teaching programs redress racial imbalances
Leticia Alvarez became the first graduate of SpedUP, a Normandale program supporting BIPOC special education teachers with tuition, mentoring, and real community.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Twins’ Lewis takes injury in stride
Royce Lewis is rehabbing with the St. Paul Saints after another hamstring injury. The 24-year-old Twins infielder says he feels good and hopes to return soon.