Posted inLocal & State

Remembering Wallace “Jack” Jackman: A life of leadership, laughter, and legacy

Wallace “Jack” O’Neal Jackman,  known affectionately as Jackie or simply Jack, passed away peacefully on October 27, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, mentorship, and unwavering dedication to community. A loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Jack’s life was a master class in combining heart, hustle, and humor. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Jack moved […]

Posted inOdds and Ends

‘25-’26 U basketball players proud to be representing

There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2025-26 academic and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: Gopher WBB redshirt junior Niamya Holloway; MBB newcomers soph Nehemiah Turner, junior Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, and […]

Posted inHelp Is Here

Twin Cities Recovery Project bridges the opioid care divide

When Latricia Tate talks about addiction, she doesn’t speak from statistics. She speaks from experience. Her parents were victims of the 1980s crack epidemic on Chicago’s South Side, a trauma that shaped her life and, ultimately, her calling. “Nobody talked about what was wrong with my parents,” Tate recalled. “It was like a secret.” Today, […]

Posted inEducation

Deaf and hard-of-hearing Black men face steep graduation challenges

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — When Antonio “Toni” Heckstall arrived at Gallaudet University as a freshman in 2016, he quickly realized the transition would be challenging. The word “turbulent” best described his experience as he adjusted to the dynamics of a predominantly Deaf university. As a hard-of-hearing student with partial hearing loss, he was transitioning from mainstream […]

Posted inLocal & State

Trapped abroad

Families speak out on two Black Americans jailed in China (WASHINGTON, D.C./Shreveport, La.) — For more than a decade, Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Mitchell Hunt have been imprisoned in China under circumstances their families say are unjust. The two African Americans, held in separate facilities, remain largely unreachable, and their loved ones say they […]

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