Minneapolis boxer Ve Shawn “Magic” Owens is making his comeback on June 27 at Battle on the Waterfront in St. Paul after an eye injury forced him away from the sport, driven by faith, family and a hunger for a world title that never dimmed.
St Paul
Posted inLocal & State
Elders reflect on struggle, survival and hope at Juneteenth brunch
Black Lives Matter Minnesota gathered elders, advocates and community members for a Juneteenth morning brunch honoring Valerie Castile, Jeweliean Jackson and others who have carried the movement, with MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard also recognized with a Celebrating Revolutionary Sistas award.
Posted inLocal & State
Hundreds Gather at Rondo Juneteenth Celebration for Ceremony of Joy, Tribute, and Resistance
Hundreds gathered at the sixth annual Rondo Juneteenth Celebration in St. Paul for a ceremony that was equal parts celebration, tribute and rallying cry, with Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan, Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Smith all speaking on voting rights, DEI and the fight for Black freedom.
Posted inLocal & State
Rebound Inc. creates pathways for Black youth beyond the justice system
Rebound Inc. is working to help Black youth in the Twin Cities move beyond systems involvement through prevention programs, transitional housing, group homes and youth advocacy, serving young people at every stage of their journey toward stability and independence.
Posted inLocal & State
Human Rights Watch Report Accuses Federal Agents of Killings, Racial Profiling During Minnesota Immigration Crackdown
A 180-page Human Rights Watch report calls Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota a manufactured crisis, names nine DHS officials for investigation and documents how federal agents killed two Minneapolis residents, racially profiled thousands and dismantled the oversight apparatus designed to investigate such abuses.
Posted inLocal & State
Miss Juneteenth Minnesota royalty speak to continued power of the pageant
At 54, Zina Alston Fizer was crowned First Lady Juneteenth Minnesota at the third annual Miss Juneteenth Minnesota State Pageant, fulfilling a lifelong dream for a woman who grew up watching beauty pageants and never seeing herself reflected in them.
Posted inDigital Editions
MSR Digital Edition 46 for June 18 – June 24, 2026
The MSR Digital Edition 46 for June 18 – June 24, 2026 is now live. Explore community news, sports, arts, and events. Edition 46, Volume 92.
Posted inFrom the Publisher
Juneteenth is a day of joy, and a day of reckoning
MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard reflects on the meaning of Juneteenth in a political moment that is testing the durability of hard-won freedoms, and reaffirms the Spokesman-Recorder’s commitment to bearing witness to Black life in all of its complexity, grief and glory.
Posted inEvents
Twin Cities Music and Movement Festival Returns August 22 in Saint Paul
The Twin Cities Music and Movement Festival returns Saturday, Aug. 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Western Sculpture Garden Park in Saint Paul for a free day of music, dancing, food trucks, steppin, salsa and community.
Posted inLocal & State
Federal Government Charges 15 People Tied to Minneapolis Anti-Fascist Organizations
The Justice Department charged 15 people allegedly tied to two Minneapolis-based anti-fascist organizations in a 94-page indictment that revealed an extensive federal surveillance operation, quoting verbatim from encrypted Signal chats as U.S. Marshals deployed tear gas outside the St. Paul arraignment.
Posted inEducation
Macalester’s $88 Million Project Aims to Transform Housing, Sustainability and Campus Connections
Macalester College’s $88 million residence hall and welcome center, currently under construction at Grand Avenue and Macalester Street in St. Paul, will add 224 beds, create a new front door to campus and include a geothermal system designed to expand to additional buildings.
Posted inBusiness
Orange Barrels, Empty Tables: East 7th Street Businesses Fight to Survive MnDOT Construction
A seven-month MnDOT reconstruction project on East Seventh Street in St. Paul is threatening the survival of dozens of immigrant- and minority-owned businesses on the East Side corridor, with $5,000 grants covering just one month of a seven-month impact.
Posted inLocal & State
IWMF Honors Minneapolis Journalist Georgia Fort with Courage in Journalism Award
Minneapolis independent journalist Georgia Fort, founder of BLCK Press and facing federal felony charges for her coverage of a St. Paul protest, has been named a 2026 Courage in Journalism Award recipient by the International Women’s Media Foundation.
Posted inLocal & State
St. Paul Unveils Statue Honoring William Godette, the City’s First African American Firefighter
St. Paul unveiled a new statue honoring William and Alfred Godette, the city’s pioneering Black firefighters, inside the William and Alfred Godette Memorial Building, with artist Seitu Jones creating a piece designed to ensure every person who walks through the doors stands in their shadows.
Posted inEvents
Your Guide to Juneteenth 2026 Events Across Minnesota
From Soul of the Southside in Minneapolis to Opal’s Walk for Freedom in St. Paul and celebrations in St. Cloud, Winona, Marshall and beyond, here is your comprehensive guide to Juneteenth 2026 events across Minnesota.
Posted inEvents
Movie on the Farm: Watch Farming While Black Under the Stars This Juneteenth
Frogtown Farm is hosting a free outdoor screening of Farming While Black on June 19 at Frogtown Park and Farm in St. Paul, inviting the community to gather under the evening sky this Juneteenth to reflect on Black land stewardship, food sovereignty and liberation.
Posted inEvents
The 28th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival Returns June 19-20 With Free Performances All Weekend
The 28th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival brings world-class talent to Mears Park and more than 18 St. Paul venues on June 19 and 20, with all performances free and open to the public in the Lowertown neighborhood of downtown St. Paul.
Posted inPolitics
Federal bill could gut state protections for kids on social media
Contributing writer Anya Armentrout examines how social media harms Black youth disproportionately, why Minnesota’s new Stop the Harms Act matters and why advocates fear the federal KIDS Act would gut state-level protections that actually have teeth.
Posted inOpinion
License plate readers can help keep our communities safe this summerÂ
Sanneh Foundation executive director Tony Sanneh makes the case for license plate reader cameras as a practical public safety tool that can help law enforcement respond faster, deter crime and protect communities during the busy summer months.
Posted inYouth Financial Education
Financial foundations: Distinguishing needs vs. wants
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. The second installment of MSR’s Youth Financial Education Series explores the difference between needs and wants through the experience of 25-year-old Alexis Harmon, who is using the 50/30/20 rule to build toward homeownership and financial stability.