“The customer is always right” is a myth, says Minuteman Press Uptown owner Frank Brown. On this episode of Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real, Brown and consumer Tina Schlief join host Tracey Williams-Dillard for a candid conversation about customer service, communication and why Black-owned businesses need to stop offering discounts on request.
St. Paul
Posted inTheater
Rose McGee’s ‘Kumbayah’ marks 30 years of telling freedom’s story
Rose McGee’s “Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story” marked 30 years at St. Paul’s The O’Shaughnessy, with cast members drawing direct lines from the play’s history to Operation Metro Surge and police brutality today. Ella Stern reports.
Posted inSports
14-Year-Old East St. Paul Boxer Wins Junior Olympics Gold
Natalia Young, a 14-year-old boxer from East St. Paul’s Sir Boxing Club, won gold at the 2026 USA Boxing Junior Olympics despite entering with only two fights to her name against opponents with 20 to 30 fights of experience.
Posted inFinance
First Independence Bank opens new St. Paul location on University Avenue
First Independence Bank, the Twin Cities’ first Black-owned full-service bank, opened a new St. Paul location at 627 University Avenue West on June 24, bringing banking services to the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods with a mission to close the racial wealth gap.
Sponsored
Neighborhood Development Center Spotlights Community Businesses Through Hidden GEMS Campaign
The Hidden GEMS on University Avenue campaign spotlights Flava Coffee and Cafe, Angelea’s Soul Food Kitchen and The Collective Salon Studios as part of NDC’s St. Paul Commercial Corridor Program celebrating the people and places that make the corridor special.
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 inWhat's Hot
MSR What’s Hot This Weekend | June 19–21
MSR’s What’s Hot roundup for June 19-21 features Juneteenth Freedom in Motion, Soul of the Southside on East Lake Street, a free multimedia exhibition and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival all weekend at Mears Park.
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 inEvents
Siren’s Song: A Tidal RAVE Is Making Waves in St. Paul This June
Sisters of The System and Flowermouthe present Siren’s Song: A Tidal RAVE, a free femme-forward community event blending mermaids, EDM and live performances on June 26 at Vybez World in St. Paul. Space is limited to 150 spots.
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 inEvents
ART BQ Returns June 16 at MLK Recreation Center in St. Paul
825 Arts is hosting a free ART BQ pop-up on June 16 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in St. Paul, featuring a community forum on neighborhood tax dollars, food from Gravy Babies, Plant Bingo and 3-on-3 basketball.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
How one St. Paul makeup artist built her business from the ground up after high school
Black Business Spotlight: Makeup artist Kelexis McKinley built Slayage By Keke over 11 years from experimenting in the mirror after high school into a storefront beauty studio on University Avenue in St. Paul.SUBTITLE
Black Business Spotlight: Makeup artist Kelexis McKinley spent 11 years building Slayage By Keke from a home glam room to a storefront
Posted inHome Ownership
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Is Hosting Free Homeownership Info Sessions This Summer
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is hosting free monthly Homeownership Information Sessions starting this summer, giving prospective buyers a chance to learn about the program, ask questions and explore whether Habitat homeownership is the right path for them.
Posted inEvents
Support a Black-Owned Creative Space at the Urban Lights DJ Night and Fundraiser on June 12
Urban Lights Music in St. Paul is hosting a DJ Night and Fundraiser on June 12 featuring an all-vinyl house, funk and disco set from MPLS House, vinyl giveaways and community connection to help keep a meaningful Black-owned creative space alive in the Twin Cities.
Posted inWhat's Hot
MSR What’s Hot This Weekend | June 5–7
MSR’s What’s Hot roundup for June 5-7 features a heels dance class, R&B slow jams night, a free Prince Celebration block party, the Edina Art Fair and Pastafest by Travail.
Posted inSports
 From Rondo to Cooperstown: St. Paul Honors David Winfield With BronzeÂ
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 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 inEvents
Monsters on Vacation Open at Minnesota Children’s Museum
Monsters on Vacation, an all-new world premiere exhibit at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, opened May 23 in St. Paul and runs through Jan. 10, 2027, using friendly monster characters and interactive activities to build social and emotional learning skills in young children.
Posted inLocal & State
Judge Orders Trump Administration to Hand Over Unredacted Documents in Case Against 39 Activists
A federal judge ordered prosecutors to turn over unredacted discovery documents in the case against the 39, as defense attorneys argued nearly every name of law enforcement officers and witnesses had been redacted, making a legal defense functionally impossible.