I’ve lived long enough to know that when power feels cornered, it looks for a mirror to break. The Insurrection Act is that mirror, a 19th-century law revived whenever those in charge want to project fear instead of face truth. Written in 1807, the Act allows the president to deploy the military on U.S. soil, […]
racial justice
Posted inOpinion
The MLK files endgame: Erase the man, then erase the holiday
The release of over 230,000 FBI files on Dr. King isn’t about truth — it’s about erasure. These coordinated attacks are designed to unravel civil rights progress and silence Black history. We must resist.
Posted inOpinion
Give people what they need to fight for racial justice
Talking about race can spark progress—or backlash. That’s why understanding racial equity is like takeoff: it takes strategy, patience, and stages. This piece outlines how to meet people where they are and keep moving forward.
Posted inLocal & State
MPD under fire for promoting officer who killed Amir Locke
Amir Locke’s family and local activists are condemning MPD’s decision to name Sgt. Mark Hanneman, the officer who killed Locke in a 2022 raid, as a training instructor. The appointment has sparked citywide backlash and renewed calls for reform.
Posted inOpinion
Concentration camps like Trump’s are not new to the U.S.
Trump’s mass deportation plan has drawn comparisons to concentration camps—but the U.S. has long operated systems of confinement and control. This isn’t unprecedented. It’s rooted in American history.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Sports, Justice, and Speaking Truth to Power Featuring Nekima Levy Armstrong
This week on Blacklight On Sports, civil rights leader Nekima Levy Armstrong joins the conversation on athletes, activism, race, and what justice looks like on and off the field.
Posted inOpinion
Black folks take note: It’s not just about immigrants
Black folks may think immigration raids don’t impact them — but they do. From surveillance creep to ICE detaining U.S. citizens, we’re already in the fight. And silence won’t save us.
Posted inOpinion
Reclaiming Juneteenth in a time of backlash
Cicley Gay of BLM reflects on Juneteenth as a celebration of Black joy and a call to resist erasure. “Freedom includes the right for everyone to play, to dream, and to live fully.”
Posted inOpinion
Racialized storytelling protects whites, dehumanizes Blacks
Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong says the media’s sympathetic portrayal of a white domestic terrorism suspect reflects a dangerous pattern of narrative bias.
Posted inOpinion
Juneteenth is Just One of Many Emancipation Days—We Must Remember the Rest
Juneteenth marks a historic milestone in the long fight for Black liberation — but the truth behind emancipation is far more painful. This powerful commentary reveals how many “freedoms” came with a cost.
Posted inOpinion
Trump’s latest travel ban another excuse to keep out nonwhites
Trump’s new travel ban targets 19 mostly nonwhite countries, reviving a strategy Charles Kurzman says is more about racial exclusion than real national security.
Posted inFinance
Open Road Fund offers gifts, not grants
The Open Road Fund offers $50,000 direct gifts to Black descendants of enslaved people in MN, ND & SD — transforming lives and building Black generational wealth.
Posted inLocal & State
Federal judge dismisses MPD consent decree
A federal judge dismissed the MPD federal consent decree, halting federal oversight of police reforms. Minneapolis officials say they will continue with the full slate of reforms despite the ruling.
Posted inLocal & State
Sen. Smith decries fed’s withdrawal from MPD oversight
Sen. Tina Smith is condemning the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the MPD federal consent decree, which was intended to drive reforms following the DOJ’s investigation into civil rights violations. Smith calls the move a betrayal of justice.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Justice 929
Selwyn Jones, uncle of George Floyd, turns grief into action. Through Justice 929, he pushes for reform, builds tech for safety, and keeps fighting for justice.
Posted inGeorge Floyd
What George Floyd’s death taught me about America
Phalen (PJ) Pounds was 15 when he saw George Floyd’s murder. Five years later, he shares how that moment changed his view of America, community, and justice.
Posted inArts + Culture
In 2020, Minnesota youth changed the world
The new documentary 612: Darkness in the Land of Nice by Diem Van Groth explores Minnesota’s youth-led uprising, racial justice, and grassroots solutions. Premieres May 23.
Posted inGeorge Floyd
The more things change, the more they stay the same
Activist Marques Armstrong shares a raw reflection on the pain, the protests, and the unfinished fight for justice five years after George Floyd’s death.
Posted inGeorge Floyd
Gains and backlash in the Black freedom struggle
Trahern Crews reflects on the George Floyd legacy, documenting progress, backlash, and the urgent need to protect reforms sparked by the 2020 uprising.
Posted inGeorge Floyd
The unfinished change
Jaylani Hussein examines the broken promises of police reform, political inaction, and the enduring fight for racial justice in the five years since George Floyd’s murder.