COMMUNITY VOICES Archives — Sahan Journal

A nonprofit newsroom dedicated to reporting for Minnesota’s immigrants and communities of color.

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COMMUNITY VOICES

Sen. Oumou Verbeten and Rep. Agbaje: Free prison phone calls can make Minnesota safer and families stronger

by Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten and Representative Esther Agbaje May 5, 2023May 5, 2023

Minnesota families spend an estimated $4.5 million to speak to their incarcerated loved ones, according to an analysis by Worth Rises, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to dismantling the prison industry.

COMMUNITY VOICES

Maxime Groen: Minneapolis City Council vote on Roof Depot demolition harms communities of color

by Maxime Groen February 7, 2023February 7, 2023

COMMUNITY VOICES

Brett Buckner: Legislation before Congress could financially harm communities of color

by Brett Buckner January 3, 2023December 16, 2022

Qorsho Hassan: Education reform begins with our students.

by Qorsho Hassan November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center the morning of the primary election in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

COMMUNITY VOICES

Trinity Hanif: Progressive voters must turn out in November despite primary losses.

by Trinity Hanif September 15, 2022September 15, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Hamse Warfa’s Labor Day reflections: Immigrants are vital to health of U.S. workforce, economy.

by Hamse Warfa September 5, 2022September 2, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Friends separated by war reunite at Hmong International Freedom Festival, which returns after two-year absence.

by Chai Lee July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Laura Yuen: At 94, this vet preserves the history of World War II linguists secretly trained in Minnesota

by Laura Yuen June 15, 2022June 15, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

High schooler Trinity Hanif: Minnesota lawmakers must pass legislation providing free menstrual products in schools.

by Trinity Hanif May 4, 2022May 3, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Laura Yuen: How a Minnesota imam came to forgive two men who bombed his mosque

by Laura Yuen April 25, 2022April 25, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Amane Badhasso: U.S. troops must not engage with Russian military, but Ukrainian refugees need our aid.

by Amane Badhasso March 30, 2022March 31, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Roxxanne O’Brien: Community voices must be included in the redevelopment of the former Northern Metal Recycling site in north Minneapolis.

by Roxxanne O'Brien March 23, 2022March 23, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Anne Leland Clark: Payday loan debts have financially hobbled thousands of Minnesotans. Lawmakers and other elected officials must advocate for reform in lending practices, including interest rate caps.

by Anne Leland Clark February 24, 2022February 24, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Veena Iyer: The death of the Patel family on the frigid U.S.–Canada border demands a response. We must create a more humane immigration system.

by Veena Iyer February 17, 2022February 16, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Minnesota Black Law Students Association: Amir Locke’s killing must lead to real change in police practices and discipline.

by University of Minnesota Black Law Student Association February 4, 2022February 4, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Hamse Warfa: Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development has made big strides toward expanding opportunities to Minnesotans of all backgrounds. Here’s how the agency did it.

by Hamse Warfa January 31, 2022January 31, 2022

COMMUNITY VOICES

Jay Eidsness: The new Minneapolis City Council should vote again on a greener future for East Phillips.

by Jay Eidsness December 15, 2021December 15, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Abdul Dire: Ethiopia has huge potential. But before it can reach it, the country must find a way to end the current war.

by Abdul Dire December 12, 2021December 13, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Habon: Islamophobia is a political weapon to keep Muslim women from participating in politics. The way to beat it? Run for office.

by Habon Abdulle December 8, 2021December 8, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Hamse Warfa: Minnesota has a long history of working for the global good. Now is the time for a new generation to step up.

by Hamse Warfa October 27, 2021October 27, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Chavez and Alper: East Phillips neighborhood deserves an urban farm, not a city parking ramp.

by Jason Chavez and Becky Alper August 17, 2021August 17, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Doualy Xaykaothao: A love letter to Sunisa Lee, and her Hmong parents.

by Doualy Xaykaothao August 9, 2021August 10, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Omar Fateh: Negotiations on police accountability should take place in the public eye.

by Omar Fateh June 10, 2021June 10, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Rahel Nardos: For a US citizen who is also an immigrant, seeking out the silver lining between a rock and a hard place.

by Dr. Rahel Nardos June 9, 2021June 9, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Lee-Yang: Surviving COVID presented the Hmong community with an impossible choice. Mourn the dead together or stay safe on our own?

by May Lee-Yang May 21, 2021May 21, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Hanif: Minnesota has serious health inequities for people of color. Two bills now before the legislature could help fix that.

by Trinity Hanif April 30, 2021April 30, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Gardner and Chudgar: Justice requires that Minnesota attorney general prosecute officer who killed Daunte Wright

by Lena K. Gardner and Neil Chudgar April 15, 2021April 15, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Irene Fernando and Jeff Lunde: Minnesota transit funding proposal jeopardizes Blue Line Extension.

by Irene Fernando and Jeff Lunde April 12, 2021April 12, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

May Lee-Yang on the killing of Hmong women: ‘I am past anger. I am past community conversations. I want vengeance. I want justice for the dead.’

by May Lee-Yang April 7, 2021April 7, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Yia Vang: My father is my hero, and he’s afraid for me. But he also embodies the cure for anti-Asian hate. That’s hope.

by Yia Vang March 26, 2021March 26, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Jeffrey Bissoy-Mattis: There is a rich pipeline of Black talent in the Twin Cities. It still can be hard to find out about events and opportunities.

by Jeffrey Bissoy March 11, 2021March 11, 2021

Image of Amira Adawe standing outside and holding a poster that reads "Dangerous. Racist. Illegal. Toxic skin lightening creams."

COMMUNITY VOICES

Skin-lightening products cost Black and brown communities our money and our health.

by Amira Adawe and Hodan Hassan March 4, 2021March 4, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

I got my first job in the U.S. at an Amazon fulfillment center in Minnesota. The work was dehumanizing and awful.

by Safiyo Mohamed January 25, 2021November 5, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Black and brown people have been subject to suffering and neglect at the hands of doctors in the past. It’s still worth getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

by Dr. Nathan T. Chomilo January 18, 2021January 19, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

As a foreign correspondent, I watched Bosnia self-destruct based on toxic propaganda. I saw the same forces at work yesterday in Washington.

by Mark Porubcansky January 7, 2021November 17, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES

Power cannot be obtained through violence in Ethiopia. Now is the time for dialogue.

by Abdul Dire December 23, 2020December 24, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Commentary: Trump’s anti-refugee policies are a betrayal of American values

by Mustafa Jumale October 30, 2020October 30, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Haji Yussuf: Ilhan offers best chance to advance progressive agenda

by Haji Yussuf May 13, 2020May 13, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Zafar Siddiqui: Don’t succumb to hate virus while fighting coronavirus

by Zafar Siddiqui May 12, 2020May 12, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Hudda Ibrahim: Coronavirus hits central Minnesota’s Somali-owned businesses hard

by Hudda Ibrahim May 4, 2020May 4, 2020

I’m Asian American in rural Minnesota and have felt the sting of pandemic-fueled racism

by Hannah Yang March 25, 2020March 30, 2021

COMMUNITY VOICES, CULTURE & COMMUNITY

Moving to Mexico for love sounded awesome. Then my African uncle called.

by Jeffrey Bissoy November 25, 2019April 1, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Immigrants built Minnesota’s economy and culture. They still do.

by Hamse Warfa November 1, 2019April 1, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Gandhi’s dream lies in tatters, 150 years after his birth

by Zafar Siddiqui October 2, 2019April 1, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

On 9/11 anniversary, blame the terrorists, not Muslims

by Ashalul Aden September 11, 2019April 1, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Goodbye St. Cloud. I love you, but I can’t stand the hate.

by Haji Yussuf August 11, 2019April 1, 2020

COMMUNITY VOICES

Justice is not blind in America. Ask Mohamed Noor.

by Ahmed Ismail Yusuf July 23, 2019April 1, 2020