The family of Larry Fitzgerald Sr. has announced visitation on Friday, June 12 and a funeral service on Saturday, June 13 in Minneapolis to honor the beloved MSR sportswriter known to many as “The Original.”
St Paul
Posted inSports
The man who brings the big events to Minneapolis
Meet Minneapolis president and CEO Melvin Tennant was integral in landing the 2028 NFL Draft for the Twin Cities, continuing a quiet legacy of bringing major events to Minneapolis that the mainstream media rarely credits him for.
Posted inOn the Radar
iLLism’s Emanuel and Fancy Are Building Community Through Music, Art, and the Legacy Building
Sponsored by: Hubbs Center – Adult Basic Education – On the Radar host Damenica Ellis sits down with iLLism duo Emanuel and Fancy to discuss their journey from solo artists to community builders, the Legacy Building, the Creative Freedom Fund and what is coming next including Soul of the Southside and Fancy’s debut children’s book.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
50th Annual Winfield Awards
The 50th Annual Winfield Awards honored 20 student athletes from 10 St. Paul high schools on June 1 at the Intercontinental St. Paul-Riverfront Hotel, with Baseball Hall of Famer David Winfield serving as keynote speaker.
Posted inDigital Editions
MSR Digital Edition 44 for June 4 – June 10, 2026
The MSR Digital Edition 44 for June 3 – June 10, 2026 is now live. Explore community news, sports, arts, and events. Edition 44, Volume 92.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
The Purposed Parent: Sister Duo Delivers Essential Prenatal and Postpartum Support
Nigerian American sisters Praise and Peace Olowokere founded The Purposed Parent in 2022 to provide culturally competent prenatal and postpartum support for Twin Cities families, with a mission rooted in reducing Black maternal and infant mortality.
Posted inAnother View
Royce and Kaelen: Working their way back to the show
Royce Lewis is working to rediscover his game after a demotion to the St. Paul Saints, while top prospect Kaelen Culpepper is making a case for a promotion, and the two Black teammates are leaning on each other along the way.
Posted inLocal & State
“Modern-day slavery:” How Minnesota’s prison labor pipeline begins before conviction
Over 40% of Minnesota’s pre-trial jail population is Black, and once convicted, many are funneled into prison work programs paying as little as 50 cents an hour. The End Slavery Minnesota Coalition says it is not rehabilitation. It is exploitation.
Posted inLocal & State
Rest in Power: Larry Fitzgerald Sr., MSR Sportswriter and Champion of Black Athletes, Dead at 71
Larry Fitzgerald Sr., beloved Minnesota sportswriter and longtime Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder columnist who spent more than 45 years advocating for Black athletes and coaches, has died at age 71.
Posted inBest of Black Businesses
Nominations Are Now Open for the 2026 Best of Black Business Awards
Nominations are now open for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s Second Annual Best of Black Business Awards. Submit your favorites across five categories through June 30, 2026, with winners celebrated at a live ceremony on Nov. 7.
Posted inSports
From Rondo to Cooperstown: St. Paul Honors David Winfield With Bronze
A bronze statue of Baseball Hall of Famer David Winfield now stands at Toni Stone Field in St. Paul, honoring the Rondo native and 22-year MLB veteran who credits his upbringing in the heart of St. Paul’s Black community as the foundation for everything that followed.
Posted inEducation
Professors reflect on Black progress, and what the next decade demands
Black academics Dr. Walter Greason and Dr. Artika Tyner offer a sobering, nuanced and at times hopeful assessment of where Black communities in Minnesota and across the country stand today and where they are headed over the next decade.
Posted inOn the Radar
iLLism: The South Minneapolis Duo Building a Creative Legacy
Twin Cities hip-hop duo iLLism, consisting of husband-and-wife creators Fancy and Emmanuel Duncan, have evolved from a successful musical act into powerful community builders. Through CRWN Media, the Legacy Building, and the Soul of the Southside festival, they are actively rewriting the narrative for local creatives.
Posted inDigital Editions
MSR Digital Edition 43 for May 28 – June 3, 2026
The MSR Digital Edition 43 for May 28 – June 3, 2026 is now live. Explore community news, sports, arts, and events. Edition 43, Volume 92.
Posted inEducation
Rising to the Bar: Minnesota’s Next Generation of Black Lawyers Won’t Back Down
Seven Black law graduates from the University of Minnesota, Mitchell Hamline and St. Thomas are entering the legal profession with purpose, carrying lived experience and a commitment to representing communities that have historically gone without.
Posted inOpinion
Policy shifts are reshaping Black and immigrant business economy
Procurement expert R. Lynn Pingol argues that Minnesota’s small businesses are facing a perfect storm of federal shocks, from DEI restrictions to DBE rollbacks and SBA delays, landing hardest on Black, immigrant and BIPOC-owned firms with the least margin for disruption.
Posted inFood
What the potlikker broth holds
Chef Lachelle Cunningham writes about potlikker, her Uncle Moe Burton’s legacy as a community organizer and cooperative grocer, and the unbroken line between feeding people, organizing people and building community power.
Posted inYouth
ReConnect Rondo Is Looking for Young Leaders to Shape the Future of Their Community
ReConnect Rondo is accepting applications for its Youth Ambassador Initiative, a six-month paid cohort for young people ages 16 to 24 with a connection to the Rondo neighborhood, running August through January.
Posted inLet them Rise
Joy of educating Black boys
Richard D. Terrell, assistant principal with Saint Paul Public Schools, writes about the joy of educating Black boys, calling on schools, families and communities to celebrate their brilliance, nurture their gifts and speak life into their futures.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Lynx veteran Nia Coffey is her father’s daughter
Nia Coffey, St. Paul native and nine-year WNBA veteran, is back home with the Minnesota Lynx, bringing a decade of professional experience and a commitment to pouring into younger players on a roster that is 71% new this season.