Brett Buckner does not call himself an activist. He calls himself a servant. On Blacklight on Sports, the North Minneapolis organizer talks with Charles Hallman about the 12-year push for the North Commons fieldhouse, the Blue Line extension, voting and the lessons he took home from Hampton University.
North Minneapolis
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Global report names HERC as Northside pushes closure
The Zero Burn Coalition renewed its call for Hennepin County to close the downtown trash incinerator HERC by the end of 2027, the same day an international report named it one of 20 incinerators worldwide of concern. Board Chair Irene Fernando opposes setting a date without a plan for the trash.
Posted inEducation
As MPS weighs school changes, North Side board member presses for proof of equity
As Minneapolis Public Schools weighs three school closure and merger options, District 2 board member Sharon El-Amin demands proof that North Minneapolis, hit hardest by past closures, will come out ahead this time. Teachers’ union MFE Local 59 has rejected all three options outright.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Push Fitness triathlon moves to North Minneapolis for seventh year, adds new scholarships
Push Fitness moved its seventh annual triathlon from Lilydale to V3 Sports in North Minneapolis this year, a shift organizers say gives the accessibility-focused event room to grow while closing the fitness access gap for Black communities.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
NorthPoint CEO Kimberly Spates puts patients at the center of care
NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center CEO Kimberly Spates is doubling down on community-driven care, expanding youth mental health support, and creating “One NorthPoint” as new federal laws challenge healthcare access.
Posted inSister Spokesman
Sister Spokesman event asks how Black communities can shape the AI era
At a recent Sister Spokesman event in North Minneapolis, tech leaders and residents gathered to discuss how Black communities can move past reacting to artificial intelligence and start actively shaping its future.
Posted inLocal & State
UROC seeks Northside input for proposed family resource center
What should a new Family Resource Center on Plymouth Avenue look like? UROC and Hennepin County are putting that question directly to Northside families, launching a survey to design services built by the neighborhood, for the neighborhood.
Posted inLocal & State
AT&T surprises Northside families with free MacBooks at Phyllis Wheatley back-to-school event
Families arrived at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center expecting backpacks and pencils and walked out with free MacBooks. A look at the surprise partnership bridging North Minneapolis’ digital divide.
Posted inLocal & State
North Commons Park renovation nears halfway point amid funding push, budget concerns
A major overhaul at North Commons Park is set to bring a new water park, three-court fieldhouse, and expanded community spaces to North Minneapolis, though park advocates remain vigilant over proposed city budget adjustments.
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 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 inLocal & State
Minneapolis Considers Drone Pilot Program for North Minneapolis, Activists Push Back
Minneapolis is considering a 75-day Skydio drone pilot program in North Minneapolis, and activists, privacy experts and community members are pushing back, raising concerns about surveillance, corporate ties to Israeli military operations and a police department they say cannot be trusted with the technology.
Posted inLocal & State
Minneapolis NAACP Calls for Ouster of Public Housing Director Over Heritage Park Conditions
The Minneapolis NAACP is calling for the immediate resignation or termination of Minneapolis Public Housing Authority Executive Director Abdi Warsame after revelations of widespread mold, water damage and neglect at Heritage Park Apartments, where half of the 440 units are empty or unsafe.
Sponsored
Building financial confidence from the inside out
Operation HOPE financial coach Achante Brown is bringing nearly a decade of banking experience back to North Minneapolis, offering free one-on-one coaching through a U. S. Bank partnership that has served more than 230 clients on West Broadway.
Posted inFood
HEAL After Dark Is Creating the Late-Night Space North Minneapolis Has Always Deserved
HEAL After Dark is open Friday through Sunday from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. at 4171 Lyndale Ave. N. in North Minneapolis, offering plant-forward, scratch-made late-night dining rooted in Southern, Caribbean, Latin and Mediterranean-inspired flavors.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Turning Point celebrates 50 years of culturally specific care
Turning Point, Inc. MN, a North Minneapolis substance abuse treatment center serving the African American community with a culturally specific approach, celebrated its 50th anniversary this week, having served more than 25,000 clients since 1976.
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Advocates Question Safety of HERC Incinerator Amid PFAS Concerns and EPA Lawsuit
Environmental advocates are renewing debate over Hennepin County’s waste incinerator, raising concerns about PFAS emissions, federal rollbacks of pollution standards and unequal health risks for communities near the facility in North Minneapolis.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Lucas Patterson Has Sent 35-Plus Kids to Division One. Minnesota Still Doesn’t Know His Name.
On Blacklight on Sports, hosts Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald and Charles Hallman sit down with Lucas Patterson, founder of Future Academic Ballers and Minnesota Prep, whose program has sent more than 35 players to Division I programs over nine years.
Posted inBusiness
NEON Launches $22 Million Collective Kitchens Hub, Giving Food Entrepreneurs Room to Grow
The Northside Economic Opportunity Network celebrated the grand opening of NEON Collective Kitchens, a 25,000-square-foot commercial kitchen and food business incubator on West Broadway designed to help North Minneapolis food entrepreneurs scale their businesses.
Posted inLocal & State
As food insecurity grows in North Minneapolis, neighbors turn to technology and community farming for solutions
Fourteen Twin Cities advocates traveled to Duluth for the Metro Food Justice Network summit, returning with renewed purpose and a clearer picture of the work ahead, including a new digital platform designed to address food insecurity block by block in North Minneapolis.