A Somali couple in St. Cloud founded a publishing company to write books for underrepresented communities in children’s books.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Stephanie Burrage to become Minnesota’s first Chief Equity Officer
Stephanie Burrage previously served as deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education. In her new post, Burrage will create a new state office of equity and opportunity.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
‘A hugely personal story’: Theater Mu debuts musical exploring cancer
The musical, “Again,” runs March 29 through April 16 at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis. Playwright Katie Ka Vang believes the musical is “the first professional musical production by a Hmong-American playwright.”
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Undocumented and wondering how to file your taxes? Here’s a guide to filing federal and state taxes.
Undocumented workers must apply for a taxpayer identification number that’s used to file federal and state taxes. A local tax preparer says addresses on tax forms are protected from being misused by immigration authorities.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Black leaders find safety in Minneapolis wellness center
The Wellness Paradigm features therapeutic massage, colon hydrotherapy, and ear candling, among other services. The center’s owner wants clients to immediately feel relaxed and safe.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Report: Black kids 6 times likelier to be strip-searched in England and Wales
Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza found nearly 3,000 children were strip-searched between 2018 and mid-2022 and more than half the searches were conducted without an appropriate adult present.
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JPMorgan Chase Celebrates Women’s History Month
Q&A with JPMorgan Chase’s Carolina Jannicelli
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Muslims across the world give back to the community during Ramadan. Here’s how Kausar Hussain is supporting others.
Ramadan is a month of personal improvement and giving for Muslims across the world. Each week, community members will share the charities they’re giving to and why.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Gambian Minnesotans seek a place of their own—a community center to connect to their roots
Minnesotans from the small West African nation of The Gambia want to buy a building that can host celebrations, connect people to resources, and provide education to the community.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minnesota podcast tackles humanity, womanhood, and Islam
The Digital Sisterhood launched back in 2021 and has since drawn a huge international audience. The third season dropped this week.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Chef Yia Vang calls new Mee-Ka pop-up restaurant a ‘beautiful collision’ of Hmong and American cuisine
Mee-Ka will serve Hmong comfort food influenced by American cuisine, offering ramen and Hmong sausage as a stand-in for spaghetti and meatballs, among other twists on familiar favorites.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
‘Why are they closing Walmart?’: Community members are upset over announced closure of store in Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Center Walmart posted a sign saying the store would close permanently on April 21, 2023. The decision comes after the closure of an Aldi and Walgreen’s, also located in areas with large Black populations.
Posted inHEALTH
Autism now more common among Black, Hispanic kids in U.S.
Experts attribute the change to improved screening and autism services for all kids, and to increased awareness and advocacy for Black and Hispanic families.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
TikTok CEO faces off with Congress over security fears
Shou Zi Chew faced a grilling Thursday from a U.S. congressional committee about banning TikTok.
Posted inHEALTH
It’s gotten harder to end pregnancies across the Midwest. Abortion doulas in Minnesota say they’re here to help.
Abortion patients may need support in the clinic or help with travel, lodging, and logistics. Midwest abortion bans mean more patients are seeking assistance in Minnesota.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Duluth Black nonprofit launches creative space, Studio X
The Family Freedom Center launched the Skilled Trades, Arts, Robotics, and Technology program to bridge the gap between students of color and professions that build generational wealth.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Black and Funny Improv Festival: Comedy as ‘an act of resistance’
The festival features performers from across the country, and runs from Wednesday through Sunday.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Want to find ways to give back, celebrate, and build community during Ramadan? Here’s a list of free and ticketed events across Minnesota.
Mosques and community groups across Minnesota are hosting several events to celebrate Ramadan, including interfaith dinners and special events for women and girls.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Apache group gets new chance to argue mine will harm sacred sites
Apache Stronghold sued the U.S. government, saying that its plans to transfer the Oak Flat land to a mining firm would place an undue burden on tribal members seeking to practice their religion.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Trump waits out grand jury as New York braces for protests
Former president Donald Trump over the weekend claimed without evidence that he would be arrested on Tuesday, but there was no indication that prediction would come true.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Video shows Irvo Otieno pinned to floor before his death
Newly obtained video shows sheriff’s deputies and workers pressing down on a prone, handcuffed, and shackled Irvo Otieno. He died March 6.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minnesota House passes bill that shields abortion providers, out-of-state patients
If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would prevent state courts or officials from complying with extraditions, arrests, or subpoenas related to reproductive health care that a person receives in Minnesota.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
‘I’m the chef now’: Afro Deli owner Abdirahman Kahin named Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year
Abdirahman Kahin wanted to share African food with a larger audience, so he opened his first restaurant in 2010. Afro Deli and Grill now has four locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS, NEWS PARTNERS
Putin welcomes China’s Xi to Kremlin amid Ukraine fighting
Xi Jinping’s trip showed off Beijing’s new diplomatic swagger and gave a political lift to Russian President Vladimir Putin days after an international arrest warrant was issued for the Kremlin leader on war crimes charges related to Ukraine.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Silicon Valley Bank collapse concerns founders of color
In the hours after some of Silicon Valley Bank’s biggest customers started pulling out their money, a WhatsApp group of startup founders who are immigrants of color raised concerns about securing funding for their startups.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Students urge University of Minnesota to better fund scholarship, Native American studies
Students and activists want an expansion of the Native American Promise Tuition Program and more funding for the American Indian Studies department and Native-led student groups.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Report: 43,000 estimated dead in Somalia drought last year
Half of the 43,000 people who died during Somalia’s longest drought last year were likely children under 5 years old.
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Tuning Into Your Child
St. David’s Center Shines a Light on the Importance of Parent-Child Relationships
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The Loft’s Wordplay Festival: Revitalized & Reimagined
Wordplay returns July 8, 2023!
Posted inEDUCATION
Minnesota school workers push Legislature to solve ‘staffing crisis’ with $25-an-hour minimum wage.
The Education Support Professional Bill of Rights would boost pay and lower health insurance costs. School workers say it’s necessary to attract and retain staff. But district leaders worry about increased costs.
Posted inEDUCATION
Valerie Castile says the state’s new school-meals law is an investment in Minnesota’s kids—and a tribute to her son, Philando
For the past six years, Valerie Castile has helped raise more than $200,000 to pay off the cafeteria debt of kids who can’t afford school lunch. On Friday, Governor Tim Walz signed a bill providing a basic breakfast and lunch to every kid in Minnesota. Castile told Sahan Journal her activism came from “listening to God and the spirit of my son, and we just started helping people.”
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Family: Video of Irvo Otien’s death shows ‘absolute brutality’
Ten people have been charged with second-degree murder in Irvo Otieno’s death, including seven Henrico County Sheriff’s deputies.
Posted inHOUSING
Transgender activists hope to save south Minneapolis house, open a co-op
Residents of the Rye House are trying to raise money to buy the home from a Catholic organization, which is giving them until sometime in April to move out.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Pakistan court rejects ex-PM Khan’s plea to suspend warrant
A Pakistani court on Thursday rejected a petition from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s lawyers to suspend a warrant for him to appear in court in a graft case linked to his term in office.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Approval of Willow project oil drilling intensifies rift with Alaska Natives
Some Alaska Natives blasted the decision to greenlight the project, and are supported by environmental groups challenging the approval in federal court.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
What’s the next step for Black reparations in San Francisco?
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey says he would back a ballot measure to enshrine reparations in the San Francisco charter as part of the budget.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
A fresh fade right at home: Black student-athletes at St. Olaf start campus barber shop featured in CBS Sports documentary
The pop-up shop provides styling and haircuts for students of color who would otherwise have to drive to the Twin Cities area.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Mille Lacs band, tribal and environmental groups launch campaign against proposed mine
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, along with other tribal and environmental groups, launched the Water over Nickel campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with the proposed Tamarack Mine, 50 miles west of Duluth.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Prior Lake High students find voice, power in wake of Twin Cities racial turmoil
Since George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police in 2020, students at Prior Lake High School are speaking out about how racism has impacted them in and out of school.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Legislature closer to passing free meals for students
The Minnesota Senate voted 38-26 Tuesday to use the state’s budget surplus to cover a basic breakfast and lunch each day for students.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Lula meets with Indigenous in Brazil’s Amazon, pledges lands
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed support for creating new territories for Indigenous communities, but stopped short of announcing any demarcations.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Army, resistance trade accusations over Myanmar killings
Members of armed resistance groups opposed to Myanmar’s military government have said the bodies of 22 people were found late Saturday in the compound of the Buddhist monastery in Nam Nein village, in the southern part of Shan State in eastern Myanmar.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
For Asian Americans, Yeoh, Quan’s Oscar wins are theirs too
For many Asian Americans, the “Everything Everywhere All at Once” seven Oscars, including Best Picture, feel like a watershed moment—that Hollywood is moving past seeing them only in tropes.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Despite mounting legal costs, Mille Lacs County plans to appeal ruling in tribal case
Mille Lacs County is appealing a federal judge’s decision to grant the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe policing authority within its 61,000-acre reservation.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Willie Jett becomes first Black man to lead Minnesota’s education department
Jett brings his vast experience to the role of Minnesota Commissioner of Education. He’s been a teacher, student, coach, principal, parent, and superintendent.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
‘Do you see us?’ Minnesota tribal leaders drive discussion at Capitol
Leaders of 11 federally-recognized Indian tribes addressed their concerns to lawmakers during Sovereignty Day at the Minnesota Capitol.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Here are the 10 new defendants who were charged Monday in the Feeding Our Future fraud investigation
Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger’s office charged 10 more suspects in the alleged fraud. Fifty suspects were charged last year.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
A plane for Kenya, a Tesla in Eagan: New defendants charged in alleged Feeding Our Future fraud spent money on lavish toys instead of needy children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged 10 defendants Monday who allegedly embezzled federal money earmarked to feed needy children. One woman allegedly claimed to feed more children than the entire population of the town she reportedly served.
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These tax tips can make filing (1040) EZ
With tax day approaching, there’s no time like the present to get started on your 2022 returns and submit them well before the April 18 deadline.
Posted inHOUSING
East Village apartment flood left exposed floors, damaged walls, and seniors stranded without elevator service
Several tenants of the East Village apartments say Aeon has left their units and building in shambles more than two months after the flood. The apartments are home to many Somali residents.
Posted inEDUCATION
How can I protect myself against the ransomware attack on Minneapolis Public Schools?
Hackers have posted online some personal information from Minneapolis Public Schools students, staff, and families—and have threatened to leak much more. We asked experts what it means for you, and what you can do about it.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Minnesota House unanimously passes bill strengthening protections for Indigenous families and children
The Minnesota House passed a bill Thursday that would enhance child welfare protections under the 1985 Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act, known as MIFPA.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Robbinsdale police release footage of Khalil Azad traffic stop
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension also announced it will conduct an independent investigation.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Minnesota legislators and advocates make push at state Capitol for stronger air quality protections in environmental justice neighborhoods.
Senator Bobby Joe Champion says regulators need to consider how much pollution already is in a neighborhood’s air, not just what a new source would emit. He’s optimistic legislation will pass this session.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Lives of Hastings’ first Black residents inspire descendants
Greg McMoore recently researched his family history. He says his ancestors, John and Nancy Wallace, came to Hastings between 1865 and 1870.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Brewing Change Collaborative offers community, support in diversifying industry
The nonprofit wants to see more people of color working at local craft breweries—including as managers and owners. Now, it has introduced a new brewery pass to encourage people of color to pick up a free pint at local taprooms.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
From St. Paul’s East Side to the stage, Kao Kalia Yang’s ‘The Song Poet’ is first Hmong story adapted to opera
The story follows Bee Yang, whose traditional Hmong song poetry helped keep his family’s stories and hopes alive as he navigated war in Southeast Asia and life as a refugee and factory worker in Minnesota.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Licencias De Conducir Para Todos: El gobernador de Minnesota Tim Walz firma proyecto de ley
El proyecto de ley entra en vigencia el 1 de octubre y permite que los habitantes indocumentados de Minnesota soliciten una licencia de conducir por primera vez en décadas.
Posted inEDUCATION
Former KARE anchor Gia Vang delivers ‘very Asian’ books to local schoolchildren
Gia Vang and St. Louis news anchor Michelle Li are donating books by Asian authors to Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy and Phalen Lake Hmong Studies Magnet School in St. Paul.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Drivers Licenses for All: Minnesota Gov. Walz signs bill into law
The bill goes into effect October 1, and allows undocumented Minnesotans to apply for a driver’s license for the first time in decades.
Posted inHEALTH
Black and brown Minnesotans get worse sleep than white people. Researchers at the University of Minnesota say it’s hurting their health.
Research connects poor sleep to obesity, hypertension, and even death. Scientists at the University of Minnesota are exploring how sleeping problems perpetuate health disparities.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Khalil Azad’s family, students call for investigation into his death
Khalil Azad’s family, Minnesota Teen Activists, and hundreds of students rallied Monday and raised questions about how Khalil Azad died after Robbinsdale police tried to stop him in July.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
U of M, tribal study will look at farming’s impact on water in Pineland Sands
The University of Minnesota is partnering with the Anishinaabe Agricultural Institute and the White Earth Nation for the study.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Robbinsdale police requests BCA review on circumstances around Khalil Azad’s death
Family and activists dispute the Robbinsdale Police Department’s narrative of events last July.
Posted inEDUCATION
South High students asked for more teachers of color. Now, they’re training in a new ‘educator pathways’ program to become those teachers.
Students credit South High teacher Angelica Torralba-Olague with connecting them to their roots and inspiring them to pursue careers as educators. Torralba-Olague is part of a statewide effort to diversify Minnesota’s teacher ranks by mentoring high schoolers of color.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Pineda Tacos’ ‘Millenial grey’ restroom drives Internet wild in viral TikTok video
These days, visitors to Pineda Tacos Plus in Minneapolis are swiping the keys to the women’s restroom and disappearing into the back without a word. The draw? A ‘Millenial grey’ haven.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Opponents of Roof Depot demolition seek millions of dollars from Legislature, relief from state Supreme Court
The East Phillips Neighborhood Institute and its supporters have taken an aggressive, multi-pronged strategy to saving the Roof Depot building, from litigation to a mass sit-in to lobbying lawmakers for millions of dollars.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
East Phillips residents unconvinced that Roof Depot demolition would be safe
Minneapolis city officials are adamant that they can safely demolish the warehouse on a former arsenic superfund. Residents remain fearful and skeptical.
Posted inEDUCATION
Minneapolis Public Schools acknowledges ‘threat actors’ could have accessed district data. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.
The district’s parents, students, and staff should change their passwords, watch for suspicious emails, and use multi-factor authentication, says a national cyber security expert.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Federal government gives $2M to plan ‘land bridge’ above Interstate 94 in St. Paul
The nonprofit community group, ReConnect Rondo, hopes to use the funding to reestablish the historically Black neighborhood.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
‘It brought purpose’: Two friends start Fire Mountain Fabrics in between chemo sessions
Customers are driving in from hours away to shop at a new store in Brooklyn Park that specializes in Native American fabrics and regalia supplies.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Cody Fohrenkam sentenced in the killing of Deshaun Hill Jr.
A Hennepin County judged sentenced Cody Fohrenkam to a little more than 38 years in prison for killing Deshaun Hill Jr.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Black longevity depends on community health in Minnesota
Medical access, poverty, crime, racism, and complex trauma all play roles in limiting Black life expectancy.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Supreme Court student loan case: The arguments explained
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Monday over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan. The court will issue a decision by the end of June.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Ojibwe language ‘nest’ in Cloquet teaches kids to speak their native tongue
Parents and children learn to speak the endangered language of Ojibwe at Grandma’s House in Cloquet, Minnesota.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
St. Paul police killing of Yia Xiong sparks ongoing protests
“[Yia Xiong] needed help, but they didn’t want to help. That’s too much work for them,” says protestor Valerie Castile, whose son Philando Castile was killed by police in 2016.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Hmong community members demand police reform while mourning the killing of Yia Xiong
Around a hundred of Hmong community members and activists from other groups packed a St. Paul library Friday night and demanded more police accountability and better training.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Twin Cities snow emergency alerts fall short for non-English speakers
St. Paul offers snow emergency alerts in four foreign languages. Minneapolis sends texts in English, with a link to a website that provides a helpline and abbreviated information in three languages.
Posted inEDUCATION
‘Technical difficulties’? ‘Encryption event’? Minneapolis Public Schools set to open Monday after mysterious week of computer malfunctions.
Technology problems affected systems across the school district, including internet, phones, cameras, badge access, copiers/printers, and building alarms. A Friday email from the district reports these glitches have mostly been repaired, or will be soon.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Roof Depot demolition on hold after judge grants injunction to neighborhood activists
A judge ruled that Minneapolis must pause plans to demolish the Roof Depot building so the Minnesota Court of Appeals can review activists’ request to permanently stop the project. The city had planned to begin demolition next week.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Elders teach the art of Snow Snake to a new generation
The tradition will be part of the Indigenous Winter Games through Saturday at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Hmong elders lead campaign for answers in St. Paul police killing of Yia Xiong
“We’re in a part of history where Hmong folks are realizing that these systems aren’t made for us, and they’re frustrated and they’re angry,” says a Justice For Yia Xiong supporter.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Indigenous activists demand meeting with Mayor Frey after failed attempt to stop Roof Depot demolition
Activists pounded on Frey’s office door Thursday morning while chanting, “Come out Frey!” The mayor did not materialize. The Minneapolis City Council voted earlier that morning not to cancel the Roof Depot demolition contract.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Ukrainians in Minnesota pay it forward one year after fleeing war
More than 900 Ukrainians have arrived in Minnesota since March 2022. California is the only other state that has resettled more Ukrainian refugees.
Posted inHOUSING
Minneapolis Public Housing Authority seeks $45 million to repair homes for low-income families
The agency owns and manages more than 700 houses serving over 3,100 residents, most of whom are people of color.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
How much can you afford to pay for college tuition? New Minnesota bill says, how about zero?
A bill introduced this week in a Minnesota Senate committee would cover costs at Minnesota public colleges and universities. The bill would apply to all students with a gross adjusted family income under $120,000—an estimated 60,000 people.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minnesota tribes get exclusive rights to sports betting in DFL bill
Pro teams support the bill, which wouldn’t allow them or racetracks to run operations.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault on 50 years covering Black lives
MPR News host Angela Davis talks to Hunter-Gault about her latest book, “My People: Five Decades of Writing About Black Lives.”
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
Senate passes Driver’s Licenses for All, sending bill to governor’s desk to be signed into law
Governor Tim Walz has said he will sign Driver’s Licenses for All into law if it reaches his desk. The bill would allow undocumented Minnesotans to apply for driver’s licenses.
Posted inEDUCATION
How can St. Paul schools improve safety? Students, educators, and parents wrestle with concerns at public meeting.
The February 10 fatal stabbing of a student at Harding High School prompted an often painful discussion about how to keep students safe. Suggestions range from adding a police presence at schools to amping up after-school programs to simply showing “more love.”
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Minneapolis police oust protestors camped out at Roof Depot to block demolition
Occupants of the Roof Depot site had planned to stay until the city agreed to move the public works project. But police and city staff cleared them out Tuesday evening, reportedly detaining and citing at least two protestors.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
¿Qué pasaría si la licencia de conducir para todos se convirtiera en ley? He aquí cómo las personas sin documentación de Minnesota obtendrían licencias, y otros consejos para los inmigrantes que navegan por el sistema.
Funcionarios de los Driver and Vehicle Services de Minnesota dicen que han pedido a los legisladores estatales que financien más personal para hacer frente a un aumento previsto de personas que solicitan licencias de conducir.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minnesota’s largest voter-eligibility change in half century passes
The Minnesota Senate passed the Restore the Vote bill by a vote of 35-30.
Posted inEDUCATION
Why did Minneapolis Public Schools close Tuesday for ‘technical difficulties’?
Minneapolis families learned late Monday evening that Tuesday’s parent-teacher conferences would be canceled, along with Minneapolis Kids, the district’s popular child-care program. Parents complained online about the late notice and the mysterious nature of the IT problem, which started last week. School buildings will be closed the rest of the week due to snow, shifting classes to e-learning—despite the technical difficulties.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minneapolis musician Obi Original redefines Afro-fusion
Obiora Obikwelu, known as Obi Original, draws from his Nigerian roots and Congolese music, among other influences.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Twin Cities hospital workers call out racism at work, demand change from employers
A recent University of Minnesota study found that hospital workers regularly experience racism at work. Researchers hope policymakers and hospital leaders will use the findings to effect change.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Maple grove high schoolers take action against gender violence
Minnesota House lawmakers voted 110-19 to create a state office for missing and murdered Black women and girls.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Family of man shot by St. Paul police demand answers
Hundreds gathered outside the St. Paul Police Department’s Western District office Sunday to protest the the police killing of 65-year-old Yia Xiong.
