The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Minneapolis Spokesman and St. Paul Recorder Headquarters Building be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, calling the recognition long overdue.
Tracey Williams-Dillard
Posted inMSR In the News
MSR Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard talks Black history and Gen Z on AMPERS podcast
From printing paper editions as a kid to leading a statewide digital newsroom, MSR CEO and Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard joined AMPERS radio to discuss 92 years of family legacy, mentoring young Black journalists, and keeping community history alive.
Posted inMSR In the News
Legacy Yacht Cruise toasts MSR’s 92nd anniversary on the St. Croix
MSR celebrated 92 years aboard the Legacy Yacht Cruise on the St. Croix River, drawing more than 300 guests across four decks of music, dancing, Black-owned vendors and raffles. Contributing writer Tony Kiene has the full recap, plus a photo gallery from the night.
Posted inEvents
Black business pioneers inducted into inaugural Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame
“History can’t wait.” The Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce inducted its inaugural class into the Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame, honoring trailblazers who built the foundation for local economic power.
Posted inLocal & State
Sabathani Community Center’s block party celebrates 60 years of service
South Minneapolis’ Sabathani Community Center celebrated 60 years of community care with a block party headlined by Sounds of Blackness. Neighbors and leaders reflected on six decades of serving as a vital lifeline for Black Minnesota.
Posted inMSR In the News
In MSR’s 92nd year, publisher and CEO reflects on her grandfather’s legacy
MSR turns 92. CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard reflects on grandfather Cecil Newman’s founding of Minnesota’s Black press legacy.
Posted inMSR In the News
MSR’s Tracey Williams-Dillard among inaugural inductees to Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame
MSR Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard is among nine visionaries inducted into the inaugural Minnesota Black Business Hall of Fame, celebrating generations of economic and cultural impact.
Posted inTracey’s Keepin' It Real
Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real: Frank Brown and Tina Schlief on Customer Service, Communication, and the Dos and Don’ts of Doing Business
“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.
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 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 inMSR In the News
Perry Talks 2026 Brought Together Powerful Voices at George Floyd Square
The 2026 Perry Talks symposium brought together Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, MSR CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard and other distinguished voices near George Floyd Square for a timely conversation on racial justice and First Amendment rights during the Rise & Remember Festival.
Posted inEducation
Leticia Alvarez – MSR 2026 Grad
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder congratulates Leticia Alvarez on earning her Bachelor of Science in Special Education with honors from Mankato University, completing a journey years in the making as a first-generation college student, mother and future MSR leader.
Posted inEvents
Perry Talks Returns for Rise & Remember Festival With a Powerful Lineup and an Urgent Message
The 2026 Perry Talks symposium takes place May 25 during the Rise & Remember Festival at George Floyd Square, featuring a keynote from Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and a panel including MSR CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard on racial justice and First Amendment rights.
Posted inTracey’s Keepin' It Real
Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real: Building Black Economic Power One Dollar at a Time
On this episode of Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real, MSR Publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard sits down with leaders from the Association for Black Economic Power to discuss financial literacy, economic ownership and building generational wealth in Black Twin Cities communities.
Posted inMSR In the News
MSR CEO Tracey Williams-Dillard Joins National Panel on Reporting ICE and Protests at LMA Summit
Tracey Williams-Dillard joined a panel at the LMA Summit discussing reporting on ICE enforcement, protests and the role of local journalism.
Posted inMSR In the News
WCCO Highlights Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s Legacy of Lifting Black Voices
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder WCCO feature highlights the paper’s decades-long commitment to preserving and amplifying Minnesota’s Black community stories.
Posted inMSR In the News
Above all else, gratitude
Senior Editor Jerry Freeman reflects on his 30-year journey with the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, honoring the people and purpose behind 91 years of Black Press legacy.
Posted inBusiness
Minnesota’s Black Business Week blooms at 38th and Chicago
Minneapolis Black Business Week kicked off at the historic 38th and Chicago intersection, now a vibrant hub of Black entrepreneurship. With five new businesses since 2020 and a powerful panel of local leaders, the week highlights a growing movement rooted in legacy, ownership, and transformation.
Posted inMSR In the News
MSR publisher twice honored during Juneteenth
Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, was honored with two Juneteenth awards for her contributions to Black media, legacy, and leadership.
Posted inLocal & State
Tracey Williams-Dillard honored with Congressional Record Award for over 50 Years in journalism
Tracey Williams-Dillard, publisher and CEO of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, was honored with a Congressional Record Award by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar for more than 50 years of service in journalism and her commitment to amplifying Black voices in Minnesota.