Willie Lloyd says he accepted his sentence for murder, did his time, and rebuilt his life. But until recently, he couldn’t vote. Under a new Minnesota law, convicted felons still on parole or probation can register.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Here comes the Minnesota State Fair! Are you ready? Some things to know before you go.
Sahan Journal answers some questions frequently asked by Minnesota State Fair visitors.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Guide: Art events in the Twin Cities
Experience the Japanese Obon festival, a Latinx art exhibition, and a rooftop drag brunch.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Here’s how to get to the Minnesota State Fair
To bus, bike, drive, or walk? Options for getting to and from the Minnesota State Fair.
Posted inHEALTH
Naomi Teklemariam: ‘There are so many options you can take within medicine’
The rising junior at Rosemount High School says Talent Garden showed her the wealth of specializations she might choose in medical school.
Posted inHEALTH
Elsy Cruz Parra: ‘You see things that you never thought you would see’
The Richfield High graduate said Talent Garden opened her eyes to new possibilities as she prepares to major in biology at Augsburg University this fall.
Posted inHEALTH
Musab Mohamed: A ‘life-changing’ internship
The Maple Grove High graduate will study pre-med or pre-nursing this fall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Posted inHEALTH
Mikayla Francis: ‘I even liked seeing the biopsies’
Soon-to-be-senior at Champlin High says Talent Garden gave her priceless hands-on experience.
Posted inHEALTH
Devan Lee: ‘I’m blessed to be part of this internship program’
Park Center graduate is studying psychology and computer science at the University of Minnesota.
Posted inHEALTH
Sydney Rupert: ‘The emergency room seems a lot more traumatic on TV’
Future surgeon is a rising senior at Minnetonka High School.
Posted inHEALTH
Venna Yarpah: ‘Shadowing the midwives has been the best rotation’
The Rogers High School graduate said Talent Garden helped crystallize her desire to be a pediatric nurse. She’ll enter Winona State this fall.
Posted inHEALTH
Immersed in health care internships, teens discover their passions and talents for medical careers
Hennepin Healthcare’s Talent Garden program aims to nurture young health care providers of color.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Minneapolis City Council passes ordinance requiring increased wages for Uber and Lyft drivers, but falls short of veto-proof majority
Council votes narrowly in favor of ordinance after a letter from Mayor Jacob Frey saying that it needed more time.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Amazon facility in Brooklyn Park provides hijabs for Muslim workers through new partnership
Henna and Hijabs partnered with the retail giant to give the company’s SMN1 facility Amazon-branded hijabs to wear to work.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
CAPI USA honored by Minnesota secretary of state for its work with immigrants and refugees
Nonprofit’s voter engagement efforts praised as carrying on a long Minnesota tradition.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Immigrants in Minnesota often crave a taste of home. U of M researchers breeding African crops for Minnesota
Eating produce from home can be comforting for immigrants. Researchers and master gardeners are working to understand what can grow in Minnesota.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Uber, Lyft threaten to pull out of Minneapolis if council approves proposed ordinance
Uber and Lyft sent letters to the Minneapolis City Council threatening to leave the city if a proposed ordinance is approved. A city committee passed the measure last week, sending it to the full council for a vote Thursday.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
A community-led approach to stopping flooding expands
In a region where communities of color are most impacted by flooding, RainReady is bringing together community members to create flood mitigation plans.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
‘Oh, there’s no more Sriracha!’ Asian grocers and consumers confront a shortage of their beloved hot sauce.
$46.99 for a bottle of Sriracha? A shortage of chili peppers is crimping production for the California producer, squeezing supplies and driving up prices. Some consumers are looking to alternatives.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Q-Pop: Peru’s social media phenomenon Lenin Tamayo fuses Quechua and K-pop
Lenin Tamayo mixes Spanish and Quechua lyrics with K-pop beats. He’s amassed more than 4.4 million likes on TikTok and released the digital album “Amaru” this month.
Posted inHOUSING
Fresh rights for Minnesota renters: Here’s a guide.
Newly passed legislation evens the playing field between landlords and tenants, housing advocates say.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
The Taliban are entrenched in Afghanistan after two years of rule. Women and girls pay the price
After two years in power, the Taliban face no significant opposition in ruling Afghanistan. Girls and women are paying the price, with the Taliban barring them from jobs, education, and virtually every aspect of public life.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Survival of wild rice threatened by climate change, increased rainfall in northern Minnesota
Wild rice is an aquatic grass that thrives in shallow waters, and serves as a sacred “mashkiki,” or medicine, to the Ojibwe.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Theater Mu’s latest production offers shamans, zombies, fight scenes—and much more
Lao American playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay features a young woman who’s destined to become a shaman. “The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior & Cannibals” runs, on stage and online, through Sunday, August 13.
Posted inEDUCATION
At a north Minneapolis charter school, ceilings collapsed and bathrooms broke down. Why didn’t anyone step in?
JJ Legacy School says it stopped paying rent in a last-ditch effort to force its landlord, Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, to make repairs. Instead, the church won an eviction order in court. The rental dispute reveals holes in state law.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Guide to IndiaFest: A day of dance, flavors, and heritage
The festival will be held Saturday at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Climate costs imperil unique, diverse Detroit neighborhood
In Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood, climate gentrification could mean that those with the resources to manage the risks and expense of living in a floodplain may replace those without them.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Guide: Arts events in the Twin Cities
Experience IndiaFest, a street art festival, and a play exploring an apocalyptic world with zombies.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Milwaukee residents fear more flooding from planned I-94 expansion
Two extra highway lanes will add 29 acres of asphalt next to Near West Side Milwaukee neighborhoods that already face flood risks.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
First-time voter Miranda Pacheco advances to general election in Duluth City Council race
Miranda Pacheco lost her right to vote years ago because of a drug conviction, and voted for the first time in the Duluth primary after it was restored.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Neighbors fight erosion on Lake Michigan in Chicago’s South Side
Recent years have seen high lake levels flood parking garages and apartments, wash out beaches, and even cause massive sinkholes.
Posted inNews
Knowing CPR could make you a lifesaver, but not everyone has easy access to training.
People of color and low-income folks are less likely to receive help, and to survive, when their hearts stop. Getting trained in CPR could help change that.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Proposed Uber, Lyft ordinance heads to Minneapolis City Council for approval
A city committee passed the measure Tuesday, sending it to the full City Council for a vote next week.
Posted inEDUCATION
Richfield students subjected to daily searches after homecoming shooting, lawsuit alleges
Two Richfield mothers say their sons were not involved in a shooting at a homecoming game, but faced discriminatory discipline from the district afterwards.
Posted inHEALTH
Hmong patients more likely to suffer strokes and at younger ages, says new UM study
The study found that Hmong stroke patients are on average 11 years younger than their white counterparts, and are twice more likely to suffer from the more serious type of stroke.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Inundation and injustice: Flooding presents a formidable threat to the Great Lakes region
This six-part collaboration will highlight cities throughout the Great Lakes region that face archaic wastewater systems, crumbling infrastructure, segregated housing, and climate change.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Former Minneapolis officer Tou Thao sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for George Floyd’s murder
Tou Thao held bystanders back as they pleaded with him and three other Minneapolis police officers to get up off George Floyd’s back and to check his pulse.
Posted inNews
When doctors say stay, these patients go
Against medical advice, some of Minnesota’s neediest patients check themselves out of the hospital before they’re better. Who’s to blame?
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Global food prices rise after Russia ends grain deal, India restricts rice exports
Food prices are still rising in many developing countries because their currencies have weakened against the dollar, which is used to buy grain and vegetable oil.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Six former Mississippi officers plead guilty to assaulting Black men
The former officers assaulted the men with a sex toy, stun guns, and other objects over a roughly 90-minute period.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
Two Minnesotans named to Obama Foundation Leaders USA program
Climate activist Jothsna Harris and labor organizer Abdirahman Muse are part of the first cohort of the Obama Foundation’s Leaders USA program.
Posted inNews
What to know about growing marijuana at home now that it’s legal
Minnesota’s new recreational marijuana allows residents to grow marijuana at home, but other parts of the law can make that a tricky endeavor, advocates say.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
New immigration services center opens on St. Paul’s East Side
Immigrant Connection Mosaic can help with naturalization cases, family reunification, and other needs.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Guide: Arts events in the Twin Cities
This weekend’s events include a performing arts festival, an art fair, and a George Floyd art exhibition.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
U of M researchers investigate role trees play in stormwater management
Trees can play a critical part in helping manage stormwater in cities. University of Minnesota researchers are helping build understanding that could help planners and foresters make better decisions.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Hmong community recalls devastation of cluster bombs as Biden promises bombs for Ukraine
Cluster bombs were dropped across Laos and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Many didn’t explode, and remain a danger nearly 50 years after the war ended.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Recreational marijuana is now legal in Minnesota. Here’s what you need to know.
Recreational marijuana became legal in Minnesota on August 1.
Posted inHOUSING
Shakopee officials devised plot to kill affordable housing project, emails reveal
Shakopee residents feared the Prairie Pointe development would harm their community. The project is being developed by Beacon, whose clientele is 90 percent people of color.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Hotter August and September forecasted for already steamy summer
At about its halfway point, the record-breaking hot and extreme summer of 2023 is both unprecedented and unsurprising. Killer heat. Deadly floods. Smoke from wildfires that chokes.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
West African nations enact sanctions against Niger after military coup
West African nations have given Niger’s coup leaders one week to reinstate the country’s democratically elected president and have threatened to use force if the demands aren’t met.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Tribes look to restore environment after largest U.S. dam removal project
Crews have mostly dismantled the first of four dams along the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Recreational marijuana becomes legal in Minnesota Tuesday
Starting August 1, growing, possessing, and using weed will be legal for people 21 and older.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Olympic gymnast Suni Lee surprised with sculpture at St. Paul’s Lake Phalen
About 100 people attended the ceremony, including St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. The sculpture was created by an art teacher at The Blake School.
Sponsored Content
Listen. Educate. Navigate.™: Advancing Disability Inclusion
Lifeworks Services and WeNetworkNow are partnering to advance disability inclusion in the African community.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Programming, services denied to Minnesota inmates who aren’t U.S. citizens
Inmates who are undocumented or who are green card holders are prohibited from accessing substance abuse treatment and workplace training once federal authorities place an immigration detainer on them.
Posted inEDUCATION
Director of race and social justice center leaves St. Thomas School of Law after university closes program
Artika Tyner, the founding director of St. Thomas School of Law’s Center on Race, Leadership, and Social Justice, announced that her position was eliminated. The university cited fundraising challenges in shuttering the program.
Posted inEDUCATION
Minnesota needs more teachers—especially in special education. This nonprofit has a plan to help.
This summer, Teach Minnesota is training nearly 50 teachers who will be in classrooms in the fall. Program leaders say this model can train the diverse teachers that Minnesota needs. But they say they’ll need more funding to bring the program to scale.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Fewer lanes, increased safety wanted along Olson Memorial Highway as MnDOT plans redevelopment
Olson Memorial Highway tore through a hub of Black and Jewish community life in the 1940s to give suburban commuters access to downtown Minneapolis. Organizers want to see the state go big on a new project to redevelop the road.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Guide: Art events in the Twin Cities
This weekend’s events include a mosaic art celebration, a pop-up spotlighting Black-owned and women-led businesses, a historical art exhibition, and a Black yoga experience.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Beltrami County Historical Society preps artifacts for return to Indigenous communities
A court granted the Beltrami County Historical Society Museum permission to return sacred Indigenous artifacts to Indigenous communities where they originated.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Sahan Journal is hiring a news editor. Please apply!
Sahan Journal seeks a news editor to join our nonprofit Minnesota newsroom. Your work can help us tell stories that matter to immigrants and communities of color. Please apply, or contact us with questions!
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Sahan Journal is hiring a criminal justice reporter. Come join our newsroom.
Sahan Journal seeks a criminal justice reporter to join our nonprofit Minnesota newsroom. Your stories about policing and public safety can help inform and empower immigrants and communities of color. Please apply, or contact us with questions.
Posted inNews
Temperatures could hit 100 in Minnesota this week. Here’s how to stay safe and where to cool off
Medical experts warn that Minnesotans are typically less prepared for heat waves than they are for winter conditions.
Posted inNews
Uber, Lyft drivers call for wage increase as Minneapolis considers rideshare ordinance
A city committee will decide whether to set a public hearing for August 8 for a proposed ordinance to increase wages for rideshare drivers.
Sponsored Content
A Big Thank You to Everyone Who Made the Loft’s Wordplay Happen!
A Whirlwind of Lit Delights Took Place July 8, 2023
Posted inHEALTH
How to re-enroll in Medicaid and MinnesotaCare as deadlines approach
About 1.5 million Minnesotans, half of them people of color, will have to reapply for the government health insurance in order to continue receiving healthcare.
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL
Sahan Journal receives Community Engagement Award from Asian American Journalists Association
The award celebrates members and organizations for their leadership, mentoring, civic engagement, and impact.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Review: Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ tour is a powerful tribute to Black and queer pioneers
Queen Bey serenaded the audience with soulful ballads before taking them on a futuristic journey through the underground ballroom scene of the 1990s.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
U.S. Census Bureau’s classification of Asian ethnic groups is harmful, warn Minnesota lawmakers
The bureau’s current classification of the Hmong, Lahu, Tai Dam, and Urdu ignores their experiences and could harm them in terms of policies and resources, critics say.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Minneapolis safety commissioner Cedric Alexander retiring after a year
After a year on the job, Cedric Alexander is stepping down September 1. His appointment was lauded as a ‘seminal’ moment in the city’s history.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Beyoncé fans get in formation for Renaissance tour in Minneapolis
Beyoncé fans lined up early Thursday outside Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Fans embrace Beyoncé’s ‘love letter’ to Black queer community as Renaissance tour stops in Minneapolis
Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, “Renaissance,” pays homage to Black culture and Black queer music.
Posted inCHANGING MINNESOTA
Trump ‘Muslim ban’ continues to delay family reunification two years after it ended
A Minneapolis-based refugee advocacy group said some of the family reunification cases it’s working on date as far back as 2011.
Posted inPOLICING & JUSTICE
Minneapolis to temporarily relocate third precinct police station downtown
The city will begin researching adding 3rd Precinct officers to the Century Plaza building in Minneapolis.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Four ways to get your Beyoncé fix as the Renaissance World Tour hits Minneapolis
No tickets? No problem. Hit up a Beyoncé dance party, live music pre-party, and karaoke night. And enter to win a free ticket.
Posted inCLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Proposals to add more car lanes to I-94 draw ire of city leaders, public as MnDOT presents 10 options for redevelopment
The state presented 10 different plans for the possible redevelopment of the interstate between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Posted inEDUCATION
With federal threat looming, Minnesota proposes new plan for special education teachers
Under a new federal corrective-action plan, Minnesota will take steps to limit how long special education teachers can work without formal training. The move should help the state preserve $219 million in federal funds. But critics say it still leaves teachers ill prepared to serve some of the state’s highest-needs students.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Graphic novel from Hastings duo chronicles ancestor’s escape from slavery
“Hate Stings” is a graphic novel written by James Curry, and drawn by Tom Nguyen, a renowned comics artist.
Posted inDEMOCRACY & POLITICS
After a drug felony, Miranda Pacheco lost the right to vote. In August, she’ll be on the ballot in Duluth. (Guess who she’s voting for.)
If she wins office, Miranda Pacheco would become the only Native American on the Duluth City Council. She’s hoping her own experiences recovering from addiction can help her address the city’s housing and mental health needs.
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK
New Minnesota State Fair food vendors hope ethnic treats become fan favorites
Afro Deli, MomoDosa, and Churros & Aguas Fresca are three new ethnic food vendors joining the 2023 fair.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Ukrainian women coping with loss find therapy in painting
The “Alive. True Stories of Love” art therapy project is helping a group of women cope with the loss of their partners who died in the war.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Hollywood’s actors, screenwriters on strike. Here’s why and what happens next
Hollywood actors are joining screenwriters in the first dual strike from the two unions in more than six decades, with huge consequences for the film and television industry.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
How can we fight remote Canadian wildfires? Use smokejumpers.
As more than 900 fires burn in a Canadian fire season, one province — British Columbia — relies on smokejumpers to help fight the blazes. Its history dates back to 1998.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Southeast Asian leaders condemn Myanmar violence, but can’t agree on solution
Southeast Asian foreign ministers have renewed their alarm over and condemnation of the deadly air strikes and artillery shelling in Myanmar. But they failed to reach an agreement Friday on how they should deal with the two-year-old crisis.
Posted inNEWS PARTNERS
Judge approves Minneapolis police reform agreement despite community concerns
Grassroots police watchdog and government accountability groups had asked the court not to approve the settlement agreement.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Miloe and family will cap Minneapolis’ International Day of Music extravaganza
The singer-songwriter’s Congolese-influenced pop will come at the end of 12 hours of music and dance celebrating many cultures.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Your Weekend Guide: Art Events in the Twin Cities
This weekend’s events include an Afrolatinx food and arts event, a film series about Black music in cinema, and a day-long celebration of international music.
Posted inHOUSING
Senators call for further oversight, consumer protections in contract for deed real estate transactions
Following a ProPublica-Sahan Journal report on fast-tracked home financing deals that left Somali families in Minnesota financially devastated, federal lawmakers met to discuss what could be done to shield buyers.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Embracing diversity and laughter: The rise of comedians of color in the Twin Cities
Sahan Journal spoke with five comedians of color about the local comedy scene, and how their background and life experiences impact their stand-up.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Breaking barriers with humor: Gabby OK’s journey as a queer Black female comedian
Gabby OK finds a home in the Twin Cities comedy scene and strives to forge a path of opportunity and empowerment for emerging female comedians.
Posted inCULTURE & COMMUNITY
Abenezer Merdassa challenges stereotypes and pushes boundaries in comedy
Ethiopian comedian Abenezer Merdassa bridges cultures through stories that delve into his experiences in both Ethiopia and America.
