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Minneapolis Police Department
Minneapolis will soon have the opportunity–or competing opportunities–to vote on the future of the Minneapolis Police Department. We made this cheat sheet to help.
the killing of George Floyd
PHOTO: From ‘I can’t breathe’ to ‘guilty,’ a look back on the past 11 months through the lens of Sahan Journal.
It’s been 330 days since George Floyd died under the knee of Derek Chauvin. On Tuesday, a jury convicted Chauvin on all three charges. We’re taking a moment to reflect on what has transpired over the 11 months leading up to this moment. Here, Sahan Journal photographers Ben Hovland and Jaida Grey Eagle share some of their images from the past year.
policing
In anxious times, Twin Cities residents say the whir of helicopters and the buzz of drones make matters worse.
“You can’t relax,” says one resident. “You don’t know what is going on…so what are we supposed to expect?”
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COVID-19 VACCINE PROJECT
Introducing Sahan Journal’s COVID-19 vaccine video series: All the information you need in Spanish, Somali, Hmong, and English.
Sahan Journal is launching a video series to help make COVID-19 vaccine information more accessible for immigrant communities.
Economics
Taxpayers, essential workers, homeowners: A portrait of Minnesota’s immigrant population
Remembering Minnesotans lost to COVID-19
Roseville father remembered for his generosity, ability to light up a party.
St. Charles father remembered as ‘silent leader,’ dedicated to his high school sweetheart.
SEIU Local 26 member remembered for his humor and hard work
Ramadan is a month devoted to prayer, charity, and reflection. This year, Muslims in Minnesota have found another way to practice—protesting.
From breaking fasts at protests to donating to food drives, Muslim community leaders and activists strive for justice during the holy Islamic month.
‘Black lady, I see you! Black boy, I see you! Black man, I see you!’: Community celebrates Derek Chauvin verdict with screams of relief–and joy.
Shortly after 4 p.m. on April 20, the Chauvin trial verdict was announced outside the Hennepin County Government Center. Sahan Journal videographer Dymanh Chhoun spoke with the crowd downtown and captured people’s reactions as word spread that the jury had found Chauvin guilty on all charges.
After an anguished wait, Chauvin verdict brings a flood of emotions, pledges to do better—and food.
Crowds celebrated outside the Hennepin County courthouse and in George Floyd Square. Politicians praised the verdict and repeated their commitment to racial justice.
‘An important step forward for justice’: Reactions to Chauvin’s guilty verdict
For George Floyd, justice. For Minneapolis, a long-delayed reckoning with racism and police violence
Anticipating possible unrest, pharmacies and clinics make contingency plans while awaiting Chauvin verdict.
U.S. Attorney General announces investigation into Minneapolis Police Department for potential discriminatory conduct.
The Justice Department probe will look for systemic violations of constitutional rights. Other cities with “pattern or practice” investigations have seen dramatic drops in police use of force.
Mass protests against racism spur statewide student walkout
Youth cite Daunte Wright killing, the Derek Chauvin trial, and racial injustice in their own schools.
‘We want it to be the right verdict. But this is America’: South Minneapolis Reacts Ahead of Chauvin Trial Verdict
On Saturday, April 17, Sahan Journal spoke with south Minneapolis residents to find out how they are feeling ahead of the Chauvin trial verdict.
LATEST NEWS
Destroyed by fire and looted, a dental clinic reopens to care for underserved patients in south Minneapolis.
First, Chicago Lake Family Dental closed for the pandemic. Then, the building burned during civil unrest. A year later, Dr. Ali Barbarawi is opening his rebuilt clinic for patients.
Inside the jury room at the Chauvin trial: Evidence, confusing legal terminology, and a lot of latitude to interpret it.
Even lawyers who have tried a lot of cases say they don’t know what exactly goes on when a jury starts to deliberate—or how long it will take to reach a verdict.
Urban farm or public works facility? One of Minnesota’s most diverse and polluted neighborhoods is fighting against the city for a greener future.
A dream for an environmentally friendly community hub in East Phillips seemed dead. Now activists have a renewed sense of hope.
Asian American history is rarely taught in schools. Educators say that fuels anti-Asian violence—and are pushing for change.
Scholars say it isn’t just the Georgia attack that killed six Asian women in March. There is a long history across the country, with real-world consequences.
Gardner and Chudgar: Justice requires that Minnesota attorney general prosecute officer who killed Daunte Wright
Metro area county attorneys’ agreement not to prosecute their own police violence cases reflects a systemic failure of the state’s criminal justice system.
VIDEO: ‘They’re choosing to shoot now’: Demonstrators at the Brooklyn Center Police Station say public safety means ‘safety from them.’
Nightly protests have followed the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Police have used flash bangs, tear gas, and aggressive measures to clear the crowds.
VIDEO: ‘We’re bystanders. Why are they taking it out on us?’ Immigrant business owners on Lake Street share fears about looting in Minneapolis.
Almost a year after the George Floyd unrest, the police killing of Daunte Wright brought looting back to Lake Street.
Who is Mike Elliott, the Brooklyn Center mayor leading the city after the shooting of Daunte Wright?
The 37-year-old leader of Brooklyn Center immigrated from Liberia as a child, and became the Twin Cities suburb’s first Black mayor.
‘I’m scared because of that booming’: A preschooler and her family watch protests, police in Brooklyn Center.
Tenean Manier has fled Brooklyn Center after protests and police violence erupted outside her window, terrifying her 2 young children.
Many protesters have become familiar with the short-term pain of exposure to tear gas. For some, it might turn out to be a long-term problem, too.
Scientists haven’t really studied the effects of repeated exposure to chemical irritants. In an era of protests, that’s starting to change.
Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter arrested on 2nd-degree manslaughter charge in killing of Daunte Wright
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension took Potter into custody Wednesday morning, a day after she resigned from the police department.
Tear gas at bedtime: Brooklyn Center residents, including kids, suffer from aggressive police tactics to quell Daunte Wright protests
Residents of apartments near the police station have need to move their children to get away from the tear gas that floats in. They blame the police for the chaos on the lawn in front of their buildings.
Brooklyn Center officer, chief resign in wake of Daunte Wright killing
Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott wants Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to handle the Wright case.
A Black-focused therapy practice in Minneapolis sees ‘trauma, trauma, trauma.’ Here’s how they’re helping people to heal.
The Derek Chauvin trial. The Daunte Wright killing. According to the mental health practitioners at Creative Kuponya, people of color in Minnesota are feeling hopeless, helpless, and permanently exhausted. The way out, they say, starts with mindfulness, somatic healing practices, and connection with community.
Iconic fist sculpture from George Floyd Square rises in Brooklyn Center, where police killed Daunte Wright.
Artist Jordan Powell-Karis carted the fist to where it was needed: “We get to heal. We get to grieve together.”
MORE STORIES
‘I’m begging you to stop,’ versus ‘control and contain.’ Community defense lawyer Andrew Gordon on how to think about the Daunte Wright protests and the police response.
A Jamaican immigrant has organized mass defense for protesters after police killings. He spoke with Sahan Journal about youth protesters, misunderstandings about looting, and how to protest safely.
What you need to know about getting a COVID-19 vaccine in the north metro, following the police killing of Daunte Wright.
Two Walmart locations in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park are damaged. But Sunday night’s unrest didn’t impact vaccine supply at either location. Appointments are being rescheduled.
‘Another Black life lost’: Trauma and frustration grow after death of Daunte Wright, but police reforms remain stalled in Minnesota legislature
Legislators of color are pushing plans to improve policing. They’ve gone nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Brooklyn Center cop who killed Daunte Wright meant to use stun gun instead, police chief says; curfew descends on Twin Cities
Police chief blames “accidental discharge” for fatal shooting that killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright in a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center. Mayor Mike Elliott pledges answers.
How you can help people in Brooklyn Center right now, in the aftermath of Daunte Wright’s killing
Brooklyn Center, a north Minneapolis suburb, was already a food desert. Now, with businesses boarded up, here’s where you can show up to help clean, drop off food, and send money to local organizers.
What to know about Brooklyn Center, where police fatally shot Daunte Wright
Brooklyn Center is Minnesota’s most diverse community per capita. Quick facts about the Minneapolis suburb, where police fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright.
Irene Fernando and Jeff Lunde: Minnesota transit funding proposal jeopardizes Blue Line Extension.
Light rail project could connect students to education, patients to health care and workers to jobs. But Hennepin County can’t afford to pay Met Council’s capital maintenance costs.
Brooklyn Center police fatally shoot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during traffic stop; police deploy tear gas to clear protests.
A man is dead after being shot by police during a traffic stop on Sunday in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Center, and a large crowd gathered at the scene Sunday evening to protest the shooting.
Man apprehended by police at Dar Al Farooq Mosque after entering during Friday prayers.
The Bloomington, Minnesota, Islamic center has been targeted by a bombing, an assault, and neighborhood harassment. Police report the suspect was fleeing a traffic stop.
