Rewind and reflect
By Trena V. Stubbs Associate Publisher
“We are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us,” said host Al McFarlane as he opened a special episode of The Conversation. It was more than an introduction — it was a declaration of purpose.
Broadcast across Black Press USA, Insight News’ social media channels, and local cable stations, the program served as a multi-generational dialogue between trailblazing civil rights leader T. Williams, celebrated author and playwright David Lawrence Grant, and Gen Z attorney and columnist Haley Taylor Schlitz. The occasion: the release of Rewind: Lessons from Fifty Years of Activism, a memoir recounting Williams’ life as a community organizer, coalition-builder, and institutional
disruptor.
What unfolded during the hour-long episode was far more than a book talk. It was a reflective journey through the critical battles of Black Minnesotans across five decades — from the uprisings of the 1960s to the murder of George Floyd — and a challenge to future generations to carry the torch forward with strategy, solidarity, and historical perspective.
Williams’ story might have remained scattered across oral histories and community lore were it not for his determination — and for David Lawrence Grant.
When Williams handed over a sprawling manuscript to the Minnesota Historical Society, it was clear the material had power. But it needed polish. “The Society told him, ‘This is great content, but it’s not accessible,’” Grant explained. “That’s where I came in.”
The result is Rewind, a collaboration blending Williams’ lived experience with Grant’s literary craftsmanship. “We weren’t just telling stories,” said Grant. “We were curating a roadmap — a guide for future activists.”
The title itself carries symbolic weight. “Rewind doesn’t mean going backward,” Williams explained. “It means reflecting — understanding the context so we don’t repeat mistakes. Because today’s challenges? We’ve seen them before. The characters change. The setting is familiar.”
For young professionals like Haley Taylor Schlitz — a 22-year-old attorney and the youngest Black woman to graduate from law school — the lessons in Rewind are more than historical anecdotes.
“Too often my generation sees this as ‘history,’”
said Schlitz. “But the systems — racism, exclusion, neglect — are ongoing. What’s changed is how we engage.” She emphasized that true progress comes from intergenerational conversation. “The legacy isn’t just in the work. It’s in the relationships. It’s in the storytelling. That’s why I stay in the room when elders talk.”
Taylor Schlitz’s reflections underscore one of the core themes of the broadcast: that activism is not just protest — it’s a commitment to memory, movement-building, and mentorship. The conversation turned poignantly contemporary when McFarlane brought up the recent federal raid in South Minneapolis — a stark reminder that the community remains under siege. “Fifty years later,” said McFarlane, “helicopters still hover over Black neighborhoods. How do we contextualize that?”
Williams pointed to a dangerous erosion of trust. “The institutions that once provided community accountability are gone,” he said. “The leadership in many major institutions today — both Black and white — don’t believe in the mission. They’ve become disconnected from the people.”
Grant added that while federal reform efforts have faltered, grassroots solutions still hold promise. He cited historical examples like the Soul Patrol and Red Patrol — community-led street teams that provided safety, mental health crisis response, and neighborly presence in moments of high tension. “They didn’t replace police,” Grant noted. “They replaced fear with familiarity.”
The episode concluded with an invitation to the upcoming author talk at Sumner Library on June
15. But more than a book launch, the moment felt like a torch-passing ceremony.
Asked what he hopes young readers take away from Rewind, Williams didn’t hesitate:
“Understand how interconnected we are. Build your networks. Use them. Every opportunity I’ve had, someone else opened the door.”
Grant offered a poetic metaphor: “Learning to trust your community is like learning to float. It feels risky at first. But once you relax, you realize — the water holds you.”
In a time of noise, fear, and division, Rewind offers what few publications do: clarity, continuity, and community. It is a book that remembers so that we can move forward with purpose — a compass for both the young and the seasoned, for the radical and the reformer. And as the conversation proved, our history is not just something we read. It’s something we become.
Robin Wonsley, Ward 2 City Councilmember, reported Tuesday that there was a large presence of federal law enforcement including ICE at the corner of East Lake St and Bloomington Ave. in South Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Police and Hennepin County Sheriff Office were both present. She said community members and news outlets posted disturbing photos and video clips from the scene.
By Steve Karnowski and Mark Vancleave
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Doz-
ens of protesters converged in the heart of the Latino community in Minneapolis on Tuesday after a large force of federal and local authorities wearing tactical gear conducted what they called a law enforcement action.
The protesters flocked to the area near a Mexican restaurant and other Latino-owned businesses after seeing livestreams that claimed an immigration raid was underway, reflecting opposition to such raids in a city that has declared itself a sanctuary for migrants. However, statements from local authorities said it was not an immigration enforcement matter, but a criminal case.
“While we are still gathering details, this incident was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement,” Mayor Jacob Frey said in a Facebook post soon after the
Northside Forward launches this week as a 10-year $1.5 billion initiative for the revitalization of North Minneapolis. According to African American Leadership Forum (AALF), at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, June 11, at Capri Theater on West Broadway, the community will unveil a community-authored vision that lays out what is needed in targeted investment over 10 years. Adair Mosley, AALF CEO, led the creation of Northside Forward as a model for community engagement and policy design in collaboration with AALF Policy Entrepreneur Fellows—Samuel Benda and Busisiwe Ledibane. Northside Forward is being introduced to the public as both a practical and radical roadmap with measurable steps and moral clarity. In a press release announcing Wednesday’s event AALF said what began as a deep community conversation—across generations and neighborhoods,
police action. “No arrests were made.”
But several dozen protesters remained at the intersection occupied by federal agents hours earlier, using cars to block traf-
A driver went through the crowd. At least one person appeared to have been knocked to the ground but got up and said they were OK. Protesters deflated the car’s tires; police moved
fic. A few held signs saying “abolish ICE” and “stop the deportations.”
in to take the driver away, and a scuffle ensued. At least one man was taken into custody.
Bystander video showed officers wearing logos from local agencies but also federal ones, including the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. An armored vehicle at the scene bore the initials of Homeland Security Investigations. Minneapolis’ police chief also was present. Michelle Gross, president of the local Communities United Against Police Brutality group, said the show of force appeared designed to “terrorize people into submission.”
“This is jackbooted thuggery, and we aren’t having it in our city,” she said.
Onlooker Jennifer Davila, who works in the community, said it already had been on edge because of raids. It’s tight-knit, and “if something happens, we know about it,” she said.
“They had a white van, a black van and a tank. For a raid, that’s pretty excessive,” Davila said. “And then coming into a brown community and
between entrepreneurs and elders, organizers and artists— has transformed into a tangible, strategic, and community-authored development plan built not from the top down, but from the block up.
“This is what it
looks like when a community claims its agency—and aligns its brilliance around a shared vision,” says Gensler’s Cities Sector Leader, Principal, Andre Brumfield. “This is a plan shaped by the people who live in Northside—not written be-
hind closed doors or imposed from outside. It was born from deep listening, intergenerational engagement, and an unshakable belief in the brilliance and power of community.”
Some video clips show MPD engaging with federal agents, blocking streets, and doing crowd control in support of the federal operation. Residents and community members who were present also reported that tear gas was used by agencies present, Wonsley said.
Mayor Frey has stated the only role MPD had was crowd control, Wonsley said.
Several community members have stated that MPD’s involvement in securing an area made it difficult for residents and legal observers to monitor and document the actions taken by the federal agencies. The Trump administration has been open about its belief that federal agencies are above the law, underscoring the importance of civilians documenting actions they see that are concerning, she said.
Wonsley said residents have voiced concerns about how Mayor Frey is
“This has understandably prompted many residents to reach out with concerns that today’s actions by MPD violated the City’s separation ordinance, which states that ‘the city does not operate its programs for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws,’” she said in a newsletter to her constituents. The Mayor and MPD have released statements affirming that MPD were present and they were not involved in immigration enforcement.
The questions stated before Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly died on May 21, after a battle with esophageal cancer: Did congressional Democrats make a mistake when they didn’t choose New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez instead of Connolly during their leadership elections in late 2024?
Since then, there has been an ongoing discussion in the party and by many political pundits about the direction of party messaging. Today, Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett will attempt to lead the House Oversight Committee. Her colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus would have to vote her in over any other member who might run for the position. With Democrats out of power in the U.S. House and Senate, almost all messaging is opposition communications. “I know that we’re behind — the first thing that you have to do is accept it. I get it. I get it,” Crockett said on the Black Virginia News podcast from a Congressional Black Caucus pen and pad session on May 15 at the U.S. Capitol. The discussion centered around the party’s messaging strategy and general failure to break through.
What has also been made clear at town halls is that constituents want their elected representatives to act with urgency in a fight with a presidential administration that has mandated unprecedented job cuts, caused economic uncertainty, and cuts to the federal workforce. Rep.
Wikimedia Commons / Photo by Gage Skidmore U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett speaking with attendees at an office opening for the Joe Biden for President campaign in Phoenix, Arizona.
Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP
Community protesters confront law enforcement officers as federal agents conduct an operation in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP Federal agents detain a man during an operation, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minn.
Credit: Minneapolis City of Lakes Council Member Robin Wonsley
Credit: Resident Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara and MPD officers on East Lake Street alongside federal agents.
Credit: Minnesota Reformer An officer sprays mace at protestors while a legal observer films.
Associated Press
By Lauren Burke Black Press USA
By Chuck Hobbs
The New York Times, MSNBC, and Rolling Stone each reported this past weekend that in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris last year, that the Democratic Party has spent about $20 million on a nationwide strategic plan called “Speaking with American Men,” or “SAM,” in an effort to engage young male voters who trend towards Republicanism and/or voted for Donald Trump last November.
Like many of you, I, too, have watched and listened to testimonies and Tik Tok documentaries about how the “Bros” just love Donald Trump because they see him as a “Bro,” or “manly man” who they look up to and consider ideal.
Lest we forget that this weak form of political analysis is not new, rather, its been going on for decades with one simplistic question that was once “fringe” now among the mainstream: “which candidate would you prefer to sit down with and drink beer?” For most “Bros,” the answer will hardly ever be a person who doesn’t share their subjective heterosexual mores.
In Trump, many of these “Bros” see the man who has dated and married attractive women, not the man who has raped and defiled women—and joked that he would “date” his own “hot” daughter Ivanka on the Howard Stern show back in the day.
Commentary
In Trump, these “Bros” see a man whose ear was scratched by glass (not a bullet) during last summer’s “alleged” assassination attempt, not the portly man with child bearing hips and well manicured little nails who dodged the Vietnam Draft five times in the 1960’s— and has referred to military personnel as “suckers and losers.”
In Trump, these
“Bros” see a man who boasts about being a billionaire, not the man whose wealth is heavily leveraged by banks—including some in Russia—facts that have made him a puppet of (Vladimir) Putin, and a grifter who is using the Oval Office to leverage deals to garner wealth for himself and his family from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and even China.
And while it just may make me an “elitist” to call these “Bros” out on the source of their affinity for Trump, which is a twisted understanding of what actually makes a man a good man, I would be remiss if I didn’t note that many of these male Trump supporters, ranging in age from 18-60, deep down inside know that the “deals” that Trump boasts about aren’t putting more education
into their minds or money into their pockets, but they applaud him anyway because his bigoted views about the “proper place” for women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ communities align
ring to her as an unqualified “gold digger” due to her relationship with a married Willie Brown early in her legal career—as if the 30 plus years of professional achievements that
nothing that any Democratic candidate or operative can say to shift the minds of men who believe they have a right to force women to bear children that they don’t wish to have;
with their own bigoted views!
Such is why a $20 million study is a waste of funds when realizing that there’s no number of podcasts, blogs, social media posts, or studies that will change the mindset of any man, regardless of their race, who is a living embodiment of lyrics from the iconic Memphis Rap Group Eightball & MJG circa ‘93, “ain’t no way in HELL a B*tch can get me to obey her...”
Regrettably, for men who see women as pejorative terms like “B*tch,” there was no way in Hell that the intelligent, articulate, and extremely well qualified Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, attorney general, Senator and Vice President, was going to get those who believe that her proper place is to be seen—not heard—to vote for her last Fall! Not when the “Bros” were constantly refer-
she earned after that relationship ended made her less worthy than Trump, a man who was having unprotected sex with call girls while his third wife, Melania, was pregnant with their son Barron less than two decades ago!
To this same point, I will never forget the look on the face of Vice President Harris’s predecessor in presidential pursuits, Hillary Clinton, when some young male idiot held a sign and shouted out “iron my shirt” when she was on stage during the 2016 election season. Men of high character and breeding understood the folly in that fool’s remarks, while knuckle dragging men of low cunning found it (and worse) remarks amusing!
In light of the foregoing, I find $20 million spent “studying the Bros” a sheer waste of money, because there’s
men who pretend as if rape and sexual harassment are largely figments of liberal women’s imaginations; men who wish that the LGBTQ community would go back into the closet while pushing to see the pronouns “she/her/they” replaced with the only pronouns that matter in their sphere: “He/Him/ Bro!”
Democrats would be dumb to cater to white masculine bigotry Why Are They Suddenly Telling Us College Isn’t Worth It?
It is graduation season across America, a season of joy, pride, and possibility. In schools large and small, families are celebrating their loved ones walking across the stage, whether from high school or college, each cap and gown representing years of determination and hope for the future.
That’s why you can count me among those Democrats who believe it unwise for the party to abandon its platform planks to push for civil and equal rights; what gets lost in analysis is that Trump won the popular vote over Harris 77,303,568 to 75,019,230, or 49.81% to 48.34%! Meaning, Trump has never had the overwhelming mandate that he claims while issuing executive order after executive order which undermine the Constitution and the Rule of Law while ignoring the one tie that binds Republicans and Democrats alike—the economy! Yes, 33 years after Bill Clinton first said it during his presidential race against George H.W. Bush, “it’s (still) the economy, stupid!” At the end of the day, no matter whether you’re a rank bigot or a humanist, each of us wants a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food in our bellies! In 2024, Trump ran on a platform that he would lower inflation and address economic uncertainty, but he has governed as a tariff levying maniac who
But this year, the joy is shadowed by an unsettling question. Why, at this moment, are we seeing such an aggressive campaign to discredit and defund higher education?
At a time when Gen Z, the first most racially and ethnically diverse generation in U.S. history, is entering adulthood, we are being bombarded with messages that college is no longer worth it, that trades should replace degrees, that elite universities are corrupt or dangerous. From federal policies to media narratives, the attacks on higher education are escalating. The timing is no coincidence.
In recent months, the Trump administration slashed billions in research funding to universities such as Harvard, Cornell, and Northwestern. Here in Minnesota, the University of Minnesota reported losing 79 federal grants worth more than $22 million. DEI programs are being dismantled. Faculty are being targeted. A false narrative is being pushed: either you are with “working-class America” or with “elite woke universities.” The administration even proposed diverting $3 billion from university research to trade schools, framing it as a populist move. Trades are valuable.
No one disputes that. But we should all be asking: why does this have to be either or? Why now, after decades of bipartisan public investment in higher education, are we suddenly being told that a college degree is not for us?
The answer lies in the demographics. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are America’s first majority-minority generations. Black, Latino, Native, Asian American, first-generation, and immigrant students are entering higher education pipelines in unprecedented numbers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students of color have gone from 15 percent of college enrollment in 1976 to over 45 percent in 2022. In the same period, the share of Black students grew from under 10 percent to over 21 percent, while the share of white students declined from 84 percent to just 52 percent. We are pursuing careers in law, medicine, engineering, science, and education, fields where our voices are desperately needed to correct deep inequities. This was not the narrative when white students were the overwhelming majority on college campuses. Then, the message was clear: get a degree. Now, as the student body shifts, we hear that college is a scam and that students should just go
to a trade school. Make no mistake. This is not about helping working-class youth. It is about maintaining the status quo. If fewer Black and Brown students become doctors, lawyers, scientists, or policy leaders, those in power stay in power.
The stakes for our communities could not be higher. For Black and Brown families, the attack on higher education is a direct threat to progress. We remain grossly underrepresented in medicine, where lack of racial concordance contributes to maternal mortality and health disparities. In STEM, our voices are missing from the innovations shaping our future. In law, Black attorneys still make up just five percent of the profession, a gap with real consequences for justice and equity. These are not abstract figures. They translate into lived experiences, from whose voices shape medical research to whose perspectives influence public policy to whose stories are represented in our justice system. Telling our youth that college is not worth it is telling them that leadership, discovery, and systemic change are not for them. We cannot accept that.
At the same time, we see a glaring contradiction. Amid this broad attack on higher education, one pipeline
remains fully open and protected: college sports. The NCAA posted $1.4 billion in revenue last year, with Black athletes disproportionately driving that income. In Division I men’s basketball and football, the top money-makers, Black athletes make up 44 percent and 40 percent of rosters, respectively. In women’s basketball, 28 percent of participants are Black, the highest percentage of any women’s sport, with nearly 4,700 student-athletes competing. There is no “trades over college” narrative here. Instead, we see political efforts, including from President Trump’s proposed College Sports Commission, to suppress NIL earnings and cap what Black athletes can finally begin to earn from the system they fuel. Even with the gains in NIL, Black athletes are only starting to receive a fraction of the vast wealth their talent generates. The contradiction is glaring. College is not worth it, unless you are playing for the profit of others.
None of this is accidental. The effort to devalue higher education is rising precisely at the moment when young people of color are poised to reshape these institutions and the professional world beyond them. The false binary of trades versus college is part of a broader campaign to limit pathways to power. Of course we should support and expand access to skilled trades. But we must also defend the right of every student to pursue higher education without political interference designed to shut them out. As we celebrate this season of graduations, we must recognize what is happening. This is a deliberate effort to undermine pathways to power just as America’s youth of color are poised to enter them. We should invest in both trades and college, not pit them against each other. We should fight for universities that are inclusive, affordable, and accountable, not dismantle them. And we should defend the right of all students, especially those historically excluded, to walk through every door of opportunity. Our future as a nation depends on it.
At the Legislature
Vang: DFLers protected 2023 policy wins
With the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session May 19th, Rep Samantha Vang, who represents Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, outlined for her constituents where things stand and what comes next for Minnesota.
“With the Minnesota House evenly divided at 67-67, we knew this session would require meaningful collaboration to deliver the investments our community deserves. And while we made progress on several key priorities, some important work remains unfinished,” Vang said in a report to residents last week.
“In the final days of session, we passed a number of budget bills, including critical investments in veterans’ programs, agriculture, housing, judiciary and public safety, as well as initiatives from the Minnesota Legacy Amendment. We
also approved a bill addressing pension reform and a package of human services policy provisions. Additionally, the House passed a bill to extend unemployment insurance for workers impacted by mass layoffs in the iron ore mining industry and hourly school workers who feed, transport, and care for our kids,’ she said.
While many budget bills did pass on time, about ten did not, meaning a special session will be needed. She said she hoped for a short special session to finish the remaining important pieces.
“This session, we protected our major policy wins from 2023, including those that help working families achieve economic security. Minnesotans believe in caring for one another, but right now, most workers in our state — and across the country — don’t have access to
paid time to care for themselves or a family member. But starting January 1, 2026, our new Paid Family & Medical Leave program will allow workers to take time off to recover from a serious health condition, welcome a new child, care for a loved one, or navigate personal safety challenges – all without having to sacrifice their economic security,” Vang said. Republican efforts to roll back Minnesota’s universal school meals program did not move forward. “I’m glad to report that our final budget agreement protects free breakfast and lunch for all students. This program is helping kids stay focused in the classroom and easing financial pressure on families across the state,” she said. Vang said U.S. House Republicans passed a budget bill that makes devastating cuts to working families, both in
Minnesota and across the country. “We know that the Trump administration has no interest in lowering costs, instead focusing their energy on prioritizing tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations at the expense of healthcare, food assistance, and basic dignity for millions of Americans.”
At stake, Vang said, are: Healthcare coverage: Millions will face higher premiums, deductibles, and copays. Hospitals are at risk of closing, and nursing homes could be forced to shut their doors.
Food assistance: The GOP Tax Scam takes food off the tables of children, seniors, and veterans — punishing the most vulnerable while rewarding the ultra-wealthy. Money for working families: The bill would block as
many as 20 million children in working families from receiving the full $2,500 Child Tax Credit. These are parents working hard in vital but underpaid jobs — truck drivers, cooks, janitors — and in Minnesota alone, 260,000 children would be impacted.
Vang said, instead of turning our backs on Minnesotans, DFLers have passed a state budget that invests in people— not corporations. “
We’ve fully funded the Minnesota Department of Health to protect and expand essential services, including a new investment in dementia care that supports caregivers and advances research, education, and services for families.” she said.
“We’ve boosted funding for Farm to School and Early Care and $1.4 million in Local Food Purchasing pro-
George Floyd should be alive today
By Minnesota State Representative
Sunday, May 25, 2025, marked five years since George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest—an event in our own District 62B that sparked nationwide protests and a global movement for racial justice and police reform.
George Floyd should be alive today. Our District is still processing and healing from the trauma of George Floyd’s murder and all that followed.
As I reflect on this moment, it is impossible to separate it from how conservative politicians and media figures continue to distort this tragic event for their political aims.
They want to divide and distract us from our mission towards real justice, and that’s why it’s so important for us to reject the falsehoods and renew our calls for a public safety system that treats every person with dignity, compassion, and equality under the law.
On Saturday, the House People of Color and Indigenous Caucus reflected on the progress we have made— no-knock warrant regulations, community violence prevention grants, independent investigations in officer-involved deaths, traffic stop reform, investments in public defenders, and funding for small businesses and BIPOC organizations here in South Minneapolis passed by our former Rep. Hodan Hassan—while still acknowledging there is so much work to do.
Especially now that the Trump Administration is seeking to take us backward by removing the consent decree
on MPD, our push for justice here at the state level is critical. We must honor George Floyd’s memory through sustained action, both in policy changes and cultural shifts.
Let’s use this moment to remember George Floyd, mourn his loss, and recommit ourselves to the work that will make our public safety system safer for everyone. I also want to acknowledge the dedicated members of our local community who have stood and protected George Floyd Square and their ongoing work to not only hold systems and elected officials accountable, but also to keep a space for healing for the community. Rest in Power, George. Shortly before our midnight deadline on Monday the 19th, the House adjourned the 2025 regular legislative session. The House and Senate passed many of the budget bills before that deadline, sending them to the Governor for his
signature. However, other parts of the budget were still locked in negotiations, meaning we will have to return for a short special session to complete our remaining work.
Before adjournment, we passed the state budget bills for Veterans and Military Affairs, Agriculture, Housing, Judiciary and Public Safety, and State Government and Elections. We also passed our Legacy bill funding projects that preserve our environment and arts and cultural heritage, a pensions bill to support our teachers, firefighters, and police, and a human services policy bill. Special sessions are common in the Minnesota Legislature, especially during times of divided government control. In fact, the only recent budget year we haven’t needed a special session was in 2023, when DFLers had a trifecta with the House, Senate, and Governor working efficiently together to
Commerce agreement adjusts
By Lisa Kaczke
Lawmakers finalized a commerce budget deal in late May that would give a reprieve on lead in keys and create a new ombudsperson to facilitate disputes between residents and homeowner associations.
It would also boost staffing in the Department of Commerce’s securities unit, create a task force to study property insurance affordability and continue the reinsurance program that lowers premiums for residents who buy their health insurance on the individual marketplace.
The agreement was based on the regular session’s omnibus commerce policy and budget bills, HF2443/SF2216* and HF2403*/SF2477.
Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell), co-chair of the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee, said the working group was able to work together on the agreement to make decisions based on facts and what’s important for Minnesotans.
“Did everybody get everything they wanted out of here? No, but is it a good product for Minnesota? I agree, I think it is,” O’Driscoll said.
Sen. Matt Klein (DFL-Mendota Heights), chair of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, said they were able to come to a commonsense agreement on consumer protections and keeping health care costs lowered for Minnesotans.
Klein noted that a proposed ban on flavored nitrous oxide, used by kids to get high, didn’t make it into the agreement because the language wasn’t specific enough and would have included cooking products that have legitimate uses. He plans to continue to work on it before the 2026 legislative session and hopes retail-
ers will begin removing those products from stores without a legislative directive.
Policy changes
The agreement proposes several changes to the state’s lead and cadmium ban, which will prohibit cadmium paint and car keys containing lead or cadmium after July 1 this year. The agreement would exempt keys containing lead that are imported, manufactured, sold or distributed before July 1, 2028. Keys containing lead equal to or less than 1.5% by total weight that are imported, manufactured, sold or distributed after July 1, 2028 would also be exempt. Artist materials including paints, pastels, pigments, ceramic glazes, markers and encaustics, as well as ink pens and mechanical pencils, would be exempt from the
ban.
The agreement would create a new ombudsperson position to facilitate disputes between unit owners and homeowner associations and assist unit owners, tenants and associations in understanding their rights. The new position would cost $347,000 a year beginning in fiscal year 2026. And a task force would be created to provide recommendations to the Legislature on the affordability of property insurance for single-family homes, multifamily rental housing and common interest communities.
Other policy changes would:
allow a safe deposit lease to renew automatically and allow a consumer to terminate a lease at any time; allow a financial institution
grams—supporting local farmers while ensuring our kids have access to healthy, locally grown food. And we’re helping the next generation of farmers get their start with expanded down payment assistance.”
“We’ve also protected early learning scholarships, key grant programs, and essential family supports—because Minnesotans deserve stability, opportunity, and a government that puts them first,” Vang said.
pass one of the most transformative budgets in state history. Unfortunately, Republicans have been holding up budget bills as a tool to try and take healthcare, Paid Leave, and other services away from people and force a special session. On many of these bills, Republicans have brought in last-minute policy demands unrelated to our budget because they’re more interested in fighting partisan battles to take away programs and support for our most vulnerable neighbors.
Many of the larger budget bills still remain locked in negotiations. We still need to pass a K-12 Education budget, as well as our Health and Human Services budgets. Together, this represents more than three-quarters of our entire state budget. We also have not passed our budgets for Higher Education, Environment, Energy, Jobs and Labor, Transportation, and Commerce.
Frustratingly, the main obstacle to passing these bills has been House Republicans’ insistence on non-budget items that roll back freedoms and protections for workers. DFLers are fighting to protect the progress made in 2023 and 2024. While we wait for final budget agreements and the Governor to officially call a special session, I’m focused on using this extra time to advocate for our community and a budget that will strengthen our district and state.
Contact: rep.anquam. mahamoud@house.mn.gov or call my office at 651-296-0294.
to close a deposit account of a customer who has harassed that institution’s employees or customers; require places of entertainment with an occupancy of at least 100 to provide, at ticketed events, free water to attendees and allow attendees to bring in sealed bottled water or an empty water bottle to fill; and require an insurer to provide a copy of the current policy to the holder when requested once per policy period.
Funding changes The commerce agreement would fund $79.34 million in spending for the Department of Commerce, a $4.78 million increase over the February base, in the 2026-27 biennium and $69.79 million in spending for the Office of Cannabis Management, a $6.65 million decrease over the February base.
For fiscal years 202829, the agreement would appropriate $79.99 million to the Department of Commerce, a $5.46 million increase over the February base, and $63.17 million to the Office of Cannabis Management, a $15.89 million decrease from the February base.
The agreement meets the global budget targets, which call for a $3 million decrease in fiscal years 2026-27 and a $12 million decrease in fiscal years 2028-29 for the Department of Commerce and Office of Cannabis Management. The Office of Cannabis Management’s cuts are to funding for the CanRenew Grant, which provides money to organizations that work with
Rep Samantha vang
Rep. Anquam Mahamoud
Rep. Tim O’Driscoll
Senator Matt D. Klein
House Photography file photo
doing this, because we have all kinds of immigrants, not just Latinos.”
While the mayor said there were no arrests, a few protesters were at least temporarily detained as tensions grew between the crowd and the law enforcement officers. A Minne-
From 3
As Gensler’s Global Cities & Urban Design practice area leader, Andre Brumfield has played a key role in raising the firm’s profile through his work with multiple notable public agencies, private sector clients and nonprofits focused on the future of neighborhoods and cities. He is Vice Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s National Urban Revitalization Counsel and works with the ULI National League of Cities’ Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use. Andre is also a Principal and Design Director in the Chicago office.
Northside Forward lays out a comprehensive 10year plan centered around six transformational pillars, 25 strategic priorities, and 73 action steps that are strategic directives with accountability, equity, and Black prosperity at the center, AALF said.
The six pillars are:
From 3
Thriving Corridors & Nodes—Revitalizing West Broadway, Penn, and Plymouth as engines of culture and commerce
Cradle-to-Career Learning—Building lifelong education and entrepreneurship pathways New Industries & Jobs—An choring North Minneapolis in the next generation of tech, clean energy, and design Diverse Housing Options—Creating affordable, legacy-rooted, and ownership-focused housing
Health, Wellness & Safety—Expanding access to holistic care, recreation, and reimagined public safety Engaged & Accountable Leadership—Empowering civic power and community-driven governance AALF is expected to announce that the Northside Forward initiative: Requires $1.5 billion in public and private sector investment Represents 55,600+ residents, with the city’s highest concen-
sota Public Radio photographer was pepper-sprayed and had his camera broken.
A Facebook post from the sheriff’s office said it “partnered with federal agencies on a criminal investigation and part of that investigation included the execution of multiple search warrants at multiple locations in the metro area.” Frey said the police department’s only role was helping with crowd control, and that the department was not involved in “anything related
to immigration enforcement.” Both the police department and sheriff’s offices have policies against cooperating with immigration enforcement actions. The sheriff’s office said that in conducting criminal investigations, “We work with federal partners regularly.” A local FBI spokesperson, Diana Freedman, declined in a text message to provide details about the operation.
tration of Black, youth, and multigenerational households Engages over 25 partner organizations including nonprofit coalitions and cultural hubs, neighborhood associa-
tions and city agencies Aligns with major regional projects like the Blue Line Extension, shaping the next era of equitable transit and growth
“This is what it looks like when the people most impacted are centered from the beginning,” Mosley said. “This is what it looks like when we honor our past, trust our people, and
commit to a future grounded in justice, joy, and self-determination.”
“In response to resident concerns, I coauthored a legislative directive with Council Member
directing MPD to implement the separation ordinance given the current federal administration’s stated anti-immigrant agenda for law enforcement.
Chavez requesting the Mayor publicly present on how he is implementing the separation ordinance within MPD, including educating officers, safeguards to support compliance, clear consequences
as well as definitions for violations, and more. Council approved this legislative directive and MPD is coming to present their response to the legislative directive at the Administration and Enterprise Oversight Committee on June 23rd at 1:30pm,” Wonsley said. Wonsley invited residents to attend the Committee meeting at the Public Service Center250 South 4th St, Room 350. The presentation will also be livestreamed on the City’s YouTube channel.
“The City cannot claim to be a welcoming city
with guardrails that prohibit MPD from assisting ICE in immigration operations, while simultaneously taking actions that were witnessed by hundreds of residents that enabled the questionable actions of the Trump administration. I also want to recognize that today’s events on Lake Street were triggering for many residents who experienced militarized law enforcement in their neighborhoods in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd,” Wonsley said.
A local pastor quoted in the Star Tribune coverage
of the events said “the fact that we see Minneapolis police escorting these tanks down the street does not instill a lot of confidence within a community that has been really badly traumatized by the Minneapolis police over the last five years,” she said.
“I am dedicated to working with my colleagues and community to use Council’s authority to ensure MPD is not collaborating with the Trump administration to attack our immigrant neighbors,” Wonsley said.
Crockett appears to have heard the message as shown in the letter to her Democratic colleagues announcing her run for Oversight ranking member. The committee has jurisdiction to investigate federal government agencies and wasteful spending. “Our country is in an existential crisis driven by an out-of-control Executive with a flagrant disregard for our Constitution, our way of governance, and our very way of life as citizens of a democratic republic. The Administration has refused to respect congressional authority, abide by lawful judicial orders, or respond to public outrage.
The magnitude of these unprecedented times warrants resistance and tactics never before seen. We must pull back the curtain on the unmitigated chaos under Trump 2.0 and translate our findings to the American people in a way they can digest,” Rep. Crockett wrote in her letter today to colleagues announcing her run to lead Oversight.
Though President Trump’s approval numbers are nothing for The White House to celebrate — the Democrats are polling at a historic low with an NBC News poll revealing that the party has only a 27 percent positive view among registered voters. The number was the lowest since 1990 since the poll was first conducted.
Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), has only been in Congress since January 2023. But since then, she has applied the party’s messaging in a way that fits contemporary technology. Many political observers believe she represents the future as the party is criticized for being too quiet during a time of unprecedented action by the chief executive in The White House. Rep. Crockett ran and won the long-held seat of Congressional Black Caucus veteran Eddie Bernice Johnson to represent Texas’s 30th congressional district. Johnson passed away in December 2023. The 44-year-old lawmaker and civil rights attorney served in the Texas legislature before coming to Congress.
Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP
Community protesters confront law enforcement officers as federal agents conduct an operation in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
Insight 2 Health
Protect Our Care Minnesota blasts House Republicans vote for massive Medicaid cuts
GOP proposed cuts to Medicaid put coverage at risk for 211,821
Healthcare advocates Tuesday joined Protect Our Care Minnesota to discuss the latest developments in the GOP assault on Medicaid. Last week, House Republicans voted to slash funding for Americans’ health care in order to hand out tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations despite widespread opposition across Minnesota, advocates said, describing the House Bill as the largest cut to Medicaid in history, making health care costly and even more difficult to obtain for middle- and low-income families.
“Medicaid’s funding is about direct care, and many of the program interventions that have had our best results are braided with Medicare funding. And so when one portion of that math equation, one ingredient out of that pie is adjusted, the care and the outcomes and the possibilities of our collective communities are drastically impacted, devastated for generations,” said Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fer-
nando. “Their physical body, their mental well-being, and the trajectory of what’s possible for their households and their kids is physically being suppressed and impacted. For what? To add a few more zeros to people that already got a bunch of zeros.”
Medicaid is critical for Minnesotans’ health and well-being, and cuts will be catastrophic for 1.1 million Minnesotans who rely on the program, including 92,000 Seniors, 592,000 Children, and 117,000 People with disabilities, discussion participants said.
Minnesotans’ access to health care isn’t a bargaining chip, and that Minnesotans shouldn’t pay the price for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, they said, warning that Minnesotans who rely on Medicaid will be at risk of getting kicked off their coverage, rural hospitals will close, and Minnesota’s budget would be thrown into crisis.
Speakers highlighted the devastating impact of gutting coverage for Minnesotans and held
Minnesota GOP Congressmembers accountable for voting to advance the cuts. Minnesotans across the political spectrum want more access to health care, not less, they said.
“We should be seeing a partner in Washington, and instead, we are quickly learning that each state will have to fend for itself. Republicans in Washington say that they want to implement these cuts to save money, but we know that what they are really doing is cruelly taking away a mechanism for people to stay healthy, increasing workloads through burdensome paperwork to our already overworked medical provider staff, and inevitably driving up costs for uncompensated care,” said State Representative Esther Agbaje. “Through this bill, congressional Republicans and the President are taking away from the poor to feed billionaires. The only groups receiving any benefit from this bill are those who are already wealthy. The rich get richer, while everyday
Minnesotans
Minnesotans will get poorer and sicker.”
“Medicaid is a crucial bridge between what Minnesotans need and what they can afford. Almost one-fourth of the patients admitted to North Memorial are covered by Medicaid. 20% of rural adults rely on Medicaid for their care. 40% of rural kids rely on it. So think
of five kids who, you know, and now decide which two don’t get health care. Because those kids and their parents aren’t just going to figure out how to get private insurance.” said Jessica Intermill, health care advocate.
“So, for these [rural] hospitals, Medicaid isn’t about not giving care, it’s about not getting the revenue that they need when
Air quality worsens in eastern US as Canadian wildfire smoke hangs over Midwest region
By Patrick Whittle and Steve Karnowski Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires started making air quality worse in the eastern U.S. on Wednesday as several Midwestern states battled conditions deemed unhealthy by the federal government.
The fires have forced thousands of Canadians to flee their homes and sent smoke as far as Europe.
In the U.S., smoke lingered on the skylines of cities from Kansas City to Minneapolis, and a swath of the region had unhealthy air quality Wednesday, according to an Environmental Protection Agency map.
In Stoughton, Wisconsin, Nature’s Garden Preschool was keeping its kids indoors Wednesday due to the bad air quality, which interferes with the daily routine, said assistant teacher Bailey Pollard. The smoke looked like a coming storm, he said.
The 16 or 17 kids ages 12 weeks to 5 years old would typically be outdoors running or playing with water, balls and slides, but were instead inside doing crafts with Play-Doh or coloring. The situation was unfortunate because kids need to be outside and have fresh air and free play, Pollard said.
“It’s something where we’ve got to take precaution for the kids,” he said. “Nobody wants to stay inside all day.”
Iowa issued a statewide air quality alert through early Thursday, urging residents to limit certain outdoor activities and warning of possible health effects due to the thick smoke. Wisconsin officials made similar suggestions as the smoke drifted southeast across the state.
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, authorities advised people shut windows at night, avoid strenuous activity outside and watch for breathing issues.
Parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York had areas of moderate air quality concern, and officials advised sensitive people to consider reducing outdoor activity.
New Hampshire authorities hoped conditions would improve by late Wednesday.
“The particle air pollution event is the result of extensive wildfires in central and western Canada,” the state’s Department of Environmental Services said. “Wind patterns are forecasted to transport plumes of smoke from these fires across much of New England and New Hampshire.”
Unhealthy conditions persist in Midwest
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an alert for almost the entire state into Wednesday, but the Twin Cities area got the region’s worst of it Tuesday.
“As the smoke continues to move across the state Tuesday, air quality will slowly improve from northwest to southeast for the remainder of the alert area,” the agency said. “The smoke is expected to leave the state by Wednesday at noon.”
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources warned that air quality in a band from the state’s southwest corner to the northeast could fall into the unhealthy category through Thursday morning. The agency recommended that people — especially those with heart and lung disease — avoid long or intense activities and to take extra breaks during strenuous activity outdoors.
Conditions at ground level are in the red
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow map showed a swath of red for “unhealthy” conditions across Wisconsin and northern Iowa. Conditions in northern Michigan also reflect-
ed many unhealthy zones. The Air Quality Index was around 160 in many parts of the upper Midwest, indicating poor conditions.
The Air Quality Index — AQI — measures how clean or polluted the air is, indicating which health effects might be experienced within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. It is based on ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Particulates are the main issue from the fires.
The index ranges from green, indicating satisfactory air quality that poses little or no risk, to maroon, which is considered hazardous. That level comes with health warnings of emergency conditions which are more likely to affect everyone.
There were areas of reduced air quality all over the U.S. on Wednesday, with numerous advisories about moderate air quality concerns as far from the fires as Kansas and Georgia.
The Canadian fire situation Canada is having another bad wildfire season. Most of the smoke reaching the American Midwest has been coming from fires northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Canada’s worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023 and choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months.
The smoke even reaches Europe The smoke over west-
ern Europe is expected to keep moving eastward, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa
A woman wears a protective mask while walking along the banks of the Merrimack River, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Lowell, Mass.
Five years after George Floyd:
A community’s grief, a community’s resolve
By Trena V. Stubbs Associate Publisher
Five years have passed since George Floyd’s life was stolen in broad daylight on the corner of 38th and Chicago in South Minneapolis. His murder, caught on camera and witnessed by millions across the globe, ignited a movement—one that shook cities, hearts, and institutions to their core. But as the crowd gathered again at George Floyd Square the week of May 19th, the question lingered in the air: What has changed, and what must we still do?
This is more than an anniversary. As community leader Al McFarlane shared, many are calling it an angelversary—a moment to honor not just the tragedy, but the resilience and determination born from it. Broadcasting live from George Floyd Square, McFarlane gathered voices that have been there since the beginning: former Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, activists from the Agape Movement, musicians, youth leaders, and everyday residents who stood on these streets in the days of fire, protest, and raw grief.
Chief Arradondo recalled the harrowing night of May 25, 2020, when he received the call no leader ever wants: a man was dead in police custody. It wasn’t until community activist Nekima Levy Armstrong sent him the video—filmed by the courageous Darnella Frazier—that the full horror hit home. “As a human being, after watching that video for the first time, I knew that a human being was murdered. And I didn’t need a law degree to tell me that,” Arradondo shared, his voice steady but heavy with the memory. His swift decision to fire the officers, to begin the
process of accountability, was a rare moment of leadership in a system too often marked by inaction. But as the conversations revealed, accountability is not the same as justice—and justice, five years later, feels elusive.
Bridgette Stewart, from the Agape Movement, spoke about the void Black men feel in Minnesota. “On that particular day, the Black men—Alfonso, Marquise, Reggie—came out to this corner where they grew up and placed their bodies in the intersection of 38th and Chicago. They said, ‘That could have been us.’” For Stewart, it’s not just a story of protest—it’s about the daily fight for recognition, respect, and a future where their voices are not only heard in moments of crisis.
Marquise Bowie spoke candidly about his own journey: a son of the neighborhood, returning home after 12 years in federal prison, searching for a way to give back. George Floyd’s death became a painful catalyst. “It was like an assignment for us,” he said. “We wanted to put the neighbor back in the neighborhood.” His story is echoed by many: men
and women who once felt lost now dedicating themselves to building peace, mediating conflicts, and showing up for their
community every day. A.J. Flowers, a young leader shaped by both personal tragedy and systemic injustice, reflected on the past five years with both pride and frustration. “I didn’t have a plan then. I was just angry,” he admitted. But through mentorship and hardwon experience, A.J. now advocates for creating space at the table for young people—especially those who have lived the pain of over-policing, poverty, and
exclusion. His call was clear: “We have to build an agenda. We have to know what we want. And we can’t let others speak for us.”
The theme of the conversation was hard truths. Voices like A.J.’s and Marquise’s emphasized that while the world came together in 2020, much of the momentum has dissipated. Resources were pledged, statements made, committees formed—but the systemic issues that took George Floyd’s life persist. Black businesses in the neighborhood struggle. Young people still face barriers. Violence within the community remains high. And as A.J. said plainly, “We get the misery; they get the money.”
There is pain in these words, but also a challenge—a challenge to all of us. If we truly believe Black lives matter, then we must act like it in every sector: housing, education, health care, safety, and economics. We must move beyond performative allyship and into real, sustained commitment.
So, what can we do?
Support Black-led organizations—groups like the Agape Movement, Unity Community Mediation Team, and others who are doing the on-the-
ground work to build safer, stronger communities. Donate, volunteer, and amplify their voices. Demand transparency from elected officials. Follow up on promises, ask hard questions about where funding is going, who is making decisions, and how Black voices are being centered in the process. Invest in Black youth by creating mentorship opportunities, funding scholarships, and opening doors to leadership roles. As A.J. Flowers reminded us, for young people, there is still a chance to shape a new narrative. It’s also crucial to address economic injustice.
George Floyd’s encounter with police started over an allegedly counterfeit $20 bill—underscoring how deeply economic violence intersects with police violence. We must fight for fair wages, affordable housing, and equitable access to opportunity, ensuring that Black communities are no longer left behind. We must also show up consistently—not just in moments of crisis, but every day. Be present at community meetings, support Black-owned businesses, and be an active part of the solution. Building an agenda is essential; communities need clear, collective de-
mands to guide the work ahead, whether it’s policing, economic equity, education, or health care.
Finally, we must tell the truth. Learn the history, teach it, and challenge any attempts to rewrite or sanitize it. As Chief Arradondo cautioned, revisionism is a threat to accountability. We must hold the line on truth—because truth is the foundation for justice, and justice is the foundation for real, lasting change.
Five years later, the memory of George Floyd still burns bright. His name still calls us to the streets, to the ballot box, to the boardrooms, to the classrooms, and to our hearts. But remembrance is not enough.
Justice is not a single verdict. Liberation is not a single moment. It is a long, hard, collective journey—and it demands all of us.
Let’s not allow George Floyd’s name to become just a chapter in a textbook or a mural fading with time. Let it be a living reminder that change is not only possible—it is necessary. And it begins with us.
Carla Bland: Building generational wealth through housing and heart
By Pulane Choane
Carla Bland is the kind of person who walks into a room and quietly shifts the energy. Not with flash, but with focus. She’s a mortgage loan officer, yes, but more than that, she’s an educator, a guide, and a believer in the transformative power of homeownership.
Speaking on The Conversation with Al McFarlane, Bland brought both heart and strategy to a conversation that spanned culture, legacy, and access. “I’m passionate about helping our community move from generational renting to homeownership,” she said.
folks think their credit is too low, or that they don’t have enough saved. I tell them, bad credit isn’t fatal. You can fix it. You just need the right support.”
ther way, it’s a win.”
It’s not just about getting the keys. It’s about opening the door to long-term freedom. “I tell people, this is your equity. It’s yours to pass down. That’s how you shift a family’s trajectory.”
Her work doesn’t stop at the bank. Bland partners with local nonprofits like Model Cities, PPL, and TRG to help buyers fix their credit and get financially ready. She sees herself as an ally in the process, not a gatekeeper.
Bland is Vice President and Community Development Mortgage Loan Officer at Old National Bank in Minnesota. Her job is to help first-time buyers, especially Black and
“Because real estate is still the fastest path to building wealth.”
Brown families who often have to navigate the financial maze that often keeps them out of ownership. But her approach is about more than numbers.
“I meet people where they are,” she said. “A lot of
That support includes programs many people don’t even know exist. She broke it down: with Old National Bank’s program, buyers can qualify with a credit score as low as 600. There’s no private mortgage insurance. Interest rates are typically half a percent below market. And in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, qualifying buyers can access up to $15,000 in down payment assistance.
“If you buy in an area that’s at least 50 percent minority, you get the full $15,000,” Bland explained. “If it’s not, we still offer up to $10,000. So, ei-
And Bland isn’t slowing down.
“This isn’t a one-time conversation,” she told McFarlane. “I want to keep coming back, keep spreading the word. Because these resources? They exist. And our people deserve to know they’re for us.” Her mission is simple but urgent. To put more keys in more hands. To replace generational doubt with generational equity. And to remind communities that wealth starts at home. Literally.
“I grew up sewing and designing,” she shared, “so creativity’s always been a part of my life. I even made instruments for my music students using deli containers and felt. But this work? This is a different kind of creative. You’re helping people design their future.” What drives her isn’t just stats or spreadsheets. It’s the moment someone goes from thinking they’ll never own a home, to walking through their own front door. “You can hear it in their voices,” she said. “You can feel the shift.”
Revitalizing Rondo: A Community-Led Movement
The Twin Cities is a thriving region in numerous ways. It’s a haven for food lovers, a vibrant art and music scene, and a great place to raise families. But the area also carries the weight of a complicated past. In the late ’50s and ’60s, I-94 highway construction physically divided several neighborhoods in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Among them was Rondo, a bustling, middle-class, predominantly African American neighborhood in Saint Paul that was home to approximately 80% of the city’s Black population. It was devastating and it was wrong.
A big idea to right the wrong Apologies have since been made by Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle and Saint Paul former Mayor Chris Coleman for the agency’s participation in the destruction of the Rondo community. That signaled a critical mo-
ment of healing. It reinforced meaningful conversations with community leaders and inspired the idea of a “cap” or “land bridge” to reconnect the neighborhood.
ReConnect Rondo takes the lead Out of that vision, ReConnect Rondo was formed. The nonprofit is leading the movement to revitalize Rondo with an African American cul-
tural enterprise district connected by a community land bridge over I-94. “This is our chance to make up for what happened decades ago. It’s our collective responsibility to drive real change in Rondo, Saint Paul, and also in North and South Minneapolis and throughout the state of Minnesota,” says Executive Director Keith Baker.
Centering community benefits A restorative neighborhood
plan has been developed to prioritize anti-displacement measures, community investment strategies, and capacity building. The restorative development benefits include living wage jobs, career pathways, improved energy systems, and preservation of Rondo’s cultural heritage. ReConnect Rondo is committed to ensuring a more equitable future with an emphasis on sustainable wealth generation as well as “right to stay” and “right to return” measures.
Aggressive funding efforts have yielded promising results, but there is much work yet to be done in support of this extraordinary effort. ReConnect Rondo asks local leaders, residents, and allies to join this community-led movement. To learn more about ReConnect Rondo and its restorative development progress, visit reconnectrondo.com.
Contributing Writer
By Cassandra Fenelon ReConnect Rondo
From left to right - Bridgette Stewart from Agape Movement, Former Police Chief Medaria Arradondo,Al McFarlane, and Former City Council Candidate AJ Flowers
Community Activist Marquise Bowie
Build a Bridge - Reconnect Rondo
Reconnect Rondo Artistic Rendering with Site Background
Carla Bland
Billions ripped from minority-owned firms under Trump
By Stacy M. Brown
Newswire
The Trump administration is dismantling the very programs created to correct generations of systemic racism and economic exclusion—programs that helped level the playing field for Black, Latino, Indigenous, and women entrepreneurs. In a series of targeted assaults, Trump has moved to destroy the federal government’s most effective tools for uplifting historically disadvantaged communities, threatening billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs. In the most devastating move yet, Trump’s Justice Department filed to end the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, a nearly $37 billion affirmative action initiative that for decades guaranteed at least 10 percent of federal transportation contracts would go to minority- and women-owned firms. The administration now claims the DBE program violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause, siding with two Whiteowned companies that sued because they didn’t want to compete with firms led by people of color.
If approved, the settlement would kill the DBE’s founding mission—to address the entrenched discrimination that has locked out marginalized groups from federal contracting. The Biden administration previously defended the program, recognizing that race-neutral alternatives alone cannot erase centuries of inequality. But Trump’s team reversed course, citing the Supreme Court’s ban on race-conscious college admissions to justify gutting one of the country’s last-standing economic justice efforts. “Today’s decision helps ensure
that the voices of minority- and women-owned businesses will be heard in a case that directly threatens their opportunity to participate fairly in federally funded transportation work,” said Brooke Menschel, Senior Counsel at Democracy Forward. “With this ruling, the court has recognized what’s at stake—not
just for these businesses, but for the longstanding principles of redressing past discrimination in our economy.”
At the same time, Trump signed an executive order aimed at neutralizing the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)—the only federal agency solely dedicated to supporting minority-owned businesses. Under President Biden, the MBDA helped secure over $3.2 billion in contracts and $1.6 billion in capital for entrepreneurs of color, creating or preserving more than 23,000 jobs. Trump’s action, combined with a recent court ruling that barred the MBDA from considering race in program eligibility, threatens to erase those gains. “These actions are designed to kill progress,” said Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee. “This isn’t just neglect—it’s sabotage.”
Even as Trump claims to champion small business, his policies have delivered devastating blows to those most in need.
A Kentucky judge previously issued an injunction weakening the DBE program, and now
Trump’s administration is making that decision permanent. Meanwhile, courts and rightwing organizations aligned with Trump are challenging the very legality of race-conscious aid, using the courts to do what Congress would never allow—turn back the clock on civil rights. In response, a coalition of minority- and women-owned business groups successfully petitioned the court to intervene. Their warning is blunt: without DBE and MBDA protections, many minority-owned firms will collapse.
“This decision is an important step forward in the hearing of minority- and women-owned businesses who want to ensure that Congress’s laws creating and maintaining the longstanding ‘Disadvantaged Business Enterprise’ contracting program are preserved,” said Douglas L. McSwain of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs. ”They will have the opportunity to demonstrate that the program is important and needed to help prevent ongoing discriminatory practices.”
Tulsa Mayor launches $105M Greenwood Trust to repair massacre legacy
By Stacy M. Brown
On Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day, Mayor Monroe Nichols, the city’s first African American mayor, announced the Greenwood Trust, a $105 million private charitable fund created to address the long-term harm caused by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Speaking at the Greenwood Cultural Center on Sunday, June 1, Nichols called the Trust a cornerstone of his “Road to Repair” initiative, a plan to unify Tulsa and support the healing of survivors, descendants, and the Historic Greenwood District—once known as Black Wall Street. In Tulsa, only two known survivors of the 1921 Race Massacre remain: 110-year-old Leslie Benningfield Randle and Viola Fletcher, who recently celebrated her 111th birthday. Both women attended the observance and neither has ever received compensation from the city or the state. “This is a critical step
to help unify Tulsans and heal the wounds that for so long prevented generations of our neighbors from being able to recover from the Race Massacre,” Nichols said. “The Greenwood Trust is really a bridge that connects what we as a community can bring to the table and what the community needs.”
The Trust will focus on housing, cultural preservation, and economic development. Of the total goal, $24 million will support housing and homeownership in Greenwood and North Tulsa. Another $60 million will go toward building revitalization and the Kirkpatrick Heights Greenwood Master Plan. The remaining $21 million, through a Legacy Fund, will support land acquisition, scholarships for descendants, and grants to small businesses and organizations. Nichols said the Trust’s first year will focus on staffing, planning, and launching its initial programs. It will be led by a privately funded executive director and governed by a board of trustees and advisors. He noted that while city council approval isn’t needed to establish the Trust, any trans-
Progress Becomes 100 Years of Your Next Step
fer of public land will require a vote. Nichols said he expects support from lawmakers. The Trust is expected to meet its asset goal by June 1, 2026, the 105th anniversary of the massacre. Contributions may include private donations, public funds, and property transfers. “As we seek to make this framework a reality, I am eager to work alongside my fellow Tulsans and partners across the country to create a fundamental shift in how we further establish generational wealth, housing opportunities, and repair for so many Tulsans,” Nichols said. Since taking office in December 2024, Nichols has established Tulsa Race Massacre Observance Day, released more than 45,000 historical records, and remains committed to the city’s 1921 Graves Investigation. His proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes nearly $1 million for excavation work at Oaklawn Cemetery. Nichols also continues the city’s Community Engagement Genealogy Project, funded in part by a Department of Justice Emmett Till Grant, with ongoing genealogy workshops, cold case training,
FOR OVER 100 YEARS, URBAN LEAGUE TWIN CITIES HAS STOOD IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR COMMUNITY FIGHTING TO DISMANTLE THE FORCES THAT LED TO GEORGE FLOYD’S MURDER, AND BUILDING WHAT WAS LONG DENIED: EQUITY, OPPORTUNITY, AND HEALING.
That legacy continues through our free, culturally grounded programs:
• Workforce Solutions – Connecting you to union jobs, training in construction, manufacturing, IT, and career coaching.
• Wealth Development – Supporting credit repair, budgeting, savings, and homeownership goals.
• Education – Helping students and families thrive through culturally responsive support and advocacy.
• Community & Civic Engagement –Influence systems through public policy and civic action.
• Center for the Advancement of the Black Family (CACCFIC) – Support for families with healing-based alternatives to child protection.
• Young Professionals –Black professionals' networks (ages 18–40) focused on leadership and economic empowerment.
…This is how justice carries on.
…This is how healing moves forward.
…This is your first step.
and a new exhibit at the Greenwood Cultural Center. “The massacre was hidden from history books, only to
highway built to choke off economic vitality, and the perpetual underinvestment of local, state, and federal governments,” Nichols said. “Now it’s time to take the next big steps to restore.”
Lynx ease past the Mercury 88-65 behind Napheesa Collier’s 18 points, 11 rebounds
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —
Napheesa Collier had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Natisha Hiedeman also scored 18 points, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Phoenix Mercury 88-65 on Tuesday night for their second series victory in five days.
Minnesota has started a season 8-0 for the fourth time in franchise history — the same amount as all of the other WNBA teams combined.
After trailing 23-14 with 44.5 seconds left in the first quarter, the Lynx outscored the Mercury 49-23 to take a 63-46
lead with 2:41 remaining in the third.
Minnesota went on a 9-0 run midway through the fourth on a three-point play by Collier and back-to-back 3-pointers by Bridget Carleton and Kayla McBride to make it 80-56.
McBride, Alanna Smith and Karlie Samuelson each made three of Minnesota’s 12 3-pointers.
Smith and McBride each scored 13 points for Minnesota. McBride also had a teamhigh seven assists. The Lynx
finished with a season-high 29 assists on 34 made field goals, but also turned it over 23 times.
Lexi Held scored 16 points and Satou Sabally had 15 points and eight rebounds for Phoenix (5-3). Kitija Laksa added 10 points. Sabally scored her first points of the second half with 6:56 left in the fourth quarter.
The Lynx also beat the Mercury 74-71 on Friday without Collier, who was out with a lingering knee injury.
NiJaree Canady makes history with record-breaking $1M
NiJaree Canady, a 22-year-old African American softball phenom, has become the first college softball player to sign a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal worth more than $1 million, a historic moment in collegiate
Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, entered the transfer portal shortly before Texas Tech hired Coach Gerry Glasco. He acted quickly to bring her to Lubbock—with backing from NFL quarterback and Red Raider alum Patrick Mahomes—and offered her not just a starting role but an expanded opportunity to develop her offensive skills. “The coaching staff and their vision were a major reason I made this decision,” Canady
conference titles, finishing the season with a 26-5 record and a nation-leading ERA of 0.86. She also threw a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts to deliver the program’s first-ever win at the Women’s College World Series. Coach Glasco called Canady the best pitcher he’s ever coached and said he believes she can lead Texas Tech to a national championship. Her resume is as stacked as her fastball is deadly. In addition to her 2024 USA
peka High School, where she was a two-time Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and led her team to back-to-back state championships. She graduated in 2022 and was ranked as the No. 11 softball recruit in the nation by Extra Innings Softball. Off the field, she’s equally grounded—an academic All-American who enjoys reading and spending time with her dog. She is the daughter of Bruce and Katherine Canady,
Tim Walz Governor of Minnesota
Spike Moss Activist
Medaria Arradondo Former Minneapolis Police Chief
Andrea Jenkins City Council Member (Ward 8)
Haley Taylor Schlitz, Assistant Attorney General
Justin Terrell Minnesota Justice Research Center Ruth Richardson Planned Parenthood
Mark Anderson Unity Community Mediation Team
BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya African American Child Wellness Institute
Kevin Lindsey Minnesota Humanities Center AJ Flowers Activist
Steve Floyd Agape Movement
Adesoji Iginla African History Specialist
Leahjean ‘CoachLeah” Denley Entrepreneur & Sports Editor
Bridgette Stewart Agape Movement
Diem Van Groth Writer & Director
Peter Frosch Greater MSP
Miles Wilson Former City Council Candidate Alicia Crudup Community Leader
Cynthia Wilson NAACP Minneapolis
Andre M Perry Author of Black Power Scorecard
Marquita Stephens Urban League Twin Cities
Lori Wilson Turning Point
Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis Plymouth Congregational Church
By Stacy M. Brown
AP Photo/Abbie Parr
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) passes while defended by Phoenix Mercury center Kalani Brown (21) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Minneapolis.
NiJaree Canady
Books, Art & Culture
The Retaliater
Sharing Our Stories
By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor
By Brian Muhammad
As a kid, I liked reading comic books about Superman, Batman, and other superheroes/avengers, fighting for the people and for justice. As an adult, I am pleased that there has been melanin put into the mix, with such heroes as Black Panther. That being said, I am honored to bring to you Brian Muhammad’s graphic novel The Retaliater.
Our story begins in the metropolis of League City. Derek Richards is a designer for Johnson Auto Engineering Company, designing new models of automobiles to compete
with the foreign market as a Black-owned company. By day, Derek is dedicated to his work and Mr. Johnson, the owner and the one who gave him this opportunity. By night, the brotha has an alter ego—the masked crimefighter known as the Retaliater.
League City is being infiltrated with a deadly designer drug known as crystal, produced and supplied by villainous business mogul Barry Lexington (aka Bossman) and enforced by his evil henchmen Flame-Torch and Metallix. Under the disguise of ice cream trucks, the drugs are distributed in the community targeting children, which the Retaliater has vowed to stop. But with police officers on the take and a police lieutenant who has an ego problem and refuses to believe that the Retaliater is actually fighting crime, that task isn’t easy. Will the Retaliater bust this racket and bring down
Bossman? Will he be able to protect his identity from his nosy colleague? And what was the catalyst that set Derek on the road to avenging crime?
Muhammad does an excellent job of giving us a masked avenger action story while addressing very real issues affecting the Black community, such as drugs, crime, racism, and strained relations with police. I appreciated his character’s internal dialogue as he goes about his task of taking down the hired goons (the “ice cream men”) and destroying the crystal labs that are taking the lives of children and young adults. When he is feeling conflicted, the purpose for his mission—caring for his people— keeps him on track.
As I went from chapter to chapter, I was reminded, in a way, of the serial movie cliffhangers of the 1930s and 1940s, only this book gives us the Black hand side, and for that
The power of resilience, entrepreneurship, and storytelling
By De’Vonna Pittman, M.Sc.
When we think of resilience, we often envision people who have faced unimaginable odds and still found a way to rise. One such person is Venerable Pierre Toussaint, a man whose life embodies the true meaning of perseverance, service, and faith.
Pierre Toussaint was born in 1766 in Haiti, a time when the world was deeply divided by the institution of slavery. Torn from his homeland as a child and brought to New York City in 1787, Pierre was enslaved but never defeated by his circumstances. He became a renowned hairdresser, philanthropist, and a devoted Catholic who tirelessly worked to uplift those around him. Despite facing racial and societal oppression, Pierre managed to build a life that was not defined by the chains of his past but by the strength of his character.
His work as a hairdresser wasn’t just about styling hair; it was about creating connections, listening to stories, and providing a space for dialogue. He served wealthy women and other influential people, but his most significant contributions were in the community. Pierre used his position to support charities, educate Black children, and care for the sick during epidemics. His resilience wasn’t just about surviving; it was about thriving and using his position to make a difference in the lives of others. Why is it so important to remember Pierre Toussaint’s story? Because his life serves as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through resilience, resourcefulness, and faith. He wasn’t just a man of his time— he is an enduring symbol of the transformative power of story and action. His legacy teaches us that our past doesn’t define us—our actions, our faith, and our resilience do.
My own journey, though different, is rooted in
that same spirit of resilience. Growing up in the poorest suburb of America, the odds were stacked against me. There were days when it seemed like nothing would change—but I made a decision. I would not let my circumstances define my future. Just like Pierre Toussaint, I chose to resist the limitations placed upon me. Through sheer grit and determination, I earned a master’s degree in Police Leadership, even when everyone told me it wasn’t necessary. But that degree wasn’t just a piece of paper—it was a declaration of my ability to push past adversity and to define my own future.
In my transition to entrepreneurship, I saw a clear parallel to Pierre Toussaint’s story. Just as he used his craft to connect, to empower, and to uplift, I used entrepreneurship to tell my story—a story of defying the odds, of finding purpose in my work, and of empowering others to do the same.
With Nature’s Syrup Beauty, I wasn’t just creating products—I was creating a platform for stories to be heard, especially those of Black women and other communities with textured hair. Our hair is more than a style; it’s a reflection of our history, culture, and strength. Just like Pierre Toussaint used his position to uplift others, I use my platform to celebrate and empower those whose stories have long been overlooked.
Pierre Toussaint’s life teaches us that our stories are our power. Storytelling is what sets us apart. It’s not just about the products we create or the businesses we run; it’s about how we use our platforms to share our experiences and build communities. In every part of entrepreneurship, from product creation to customer engagement, the story is what connects us.
Pierre didn’t just create a legacy through his work—he created one through his story. His life is a reminder
that every step we take in the face of adversity is a story worth telling. Our resilience is the foundation on which we build, and our stories are the bridges that connect us to others. As we look to the example of Pierre Toussaint, let’s be reminded that our resilience is not just for us. It’s for those we lift up along the way. The challenges we face and the ways we persevere are the tools through which we create lasting change.
Pierre’s story, like
all stories of resilience, is important because it reminds us that no matter the starting point, we all have the power to shape our future. We all have the ability to build, to create, and to uplift others through our actions and stories. I hope to create a world where resilience is celebrated, and where we, like Pierre Toussaint, use our power to elevate and inspire.
Your story is waiting to be told. Let it inspire the world.
When you support my journey, you’re not just backing a brand—you’re embracing a story of resilience, empowerment, and integrity. In return, you’ll receive something beautiful: Nature’s Syrup Beauty. Every product is crafted with care, precision, and a deep commitment to quality. Take Nature’s Syrup Beauty home with you and experience the difference. Trust in what you’re bringing into your life. www. naturessyrup.com
Is AI sparking a cognitive revolution that will lead to mediocrity and conformity?
By Wolfgang Messner Clinical Professor of International Business, University of South Carolina
Artificial Intelligence began as a quest to simulate the human brain.
Is it now in the process of transforming the human brain’s role in daily life?
The Industrial Revolution diminished the need for manual labor. As someone who researches the application of AI in international business, I can’t help but wonder whether it is spurring a cognitive revolution, obviating the need for certain cognitive processes as it reshapes how students, workers and artists write, design and decide.
Echoes of the Industrial Revolution We’ve been here before.
The Industrial Revolution replaced artisanal craftsmanship with mechanized production, enabling goods to be replicated and manufactured on a mass scale.
Shoes, cars and crops could be produced efficiently and uniformly. But products also became more bland, predictable and stripped of individuality. Craftsmanship retreated to the margins, as a luxury or a form of resistance. Today, there’s a similar risk with the automation of thought.
Generative AI tempts users to conflate speed with quality, productivity with originality.
The danger is not that AI will fail us, but that people will accept the mediocrity of its outputs as the norm. When everything is fast, frictionless and “good enough,” there’s the risk of losing the depth, nuance and intellectual richness that define exceptional human work.
Graphic designers use AI to quickly create a slate of potential logos for their clients. Marketers test how AIgenerated customer profiles will respond to ad campaigns. Software engineers deploy AI coding assistants. Students wield AI to draft essays in record time – and teachers use similar tools to provide feedback. The economic and cultural implications are profound. What happens to the writer who no longer struggles with the perfect phrase, or the designer who no longer sketches dozens of variations before finding the right one? Will they become increasingly dependent on these cognitive prosthetics, similar to how using GPS diminishes navigation skills? And how can human creativity and critical thinking be preserved in an age of algorithmic abundance?
The rise of
algorithmic mediocrity
Despite the name, AI doesn’t actually think. Tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini process massive volumes of human-created content, often scraped from the internet without context or permission. Their outputs are statistical predictions of what word or pixel is likely to follow based on patterns in data they’ve processed.
They are, in essence, mirrors that reflect collective human creative output back to users – rearranged and recombined, but fundamentally derivative.
And this, in many ways, is precisely why they work so well.
Consider the countless emails people write, the slide decks strategy consultants prepare and the advertisements that suffuse social media feeds. Much of this content follows predictable patterns and established formulas. It has been there before, in one form or the other.
Generative AI excels at producing competentsounding content – lists, summaries, press releases, advertisements – that bears the signs of human creation without that spark of ingenuity. It thrives in contexts where the demand for originality is low and when “good enough” is, well, good
enough. When AI sparks – and stifles – creativity
Yet, even in a world of formulaic content, AI can be surprisingly helpful. In one set of experiments, researchers tasked people with completing various creative challenges. They found that those who used generative AI produced ideas that were, on average, more creative, outperforming participants who used web searches or no aids at all. In other words, AI can, in fact, elevate baseline creative performance.
However, further analysis revealed a critical trade-off: Reliance on AI systems for brainstorming significantly reduced the diversity of ideas produced, which is a crucial element for creative breakthroughs. The systems tend to converge toward a predictable middle rather than exploring unconventional possibilities at the edges.
I wasn’t surprised by these findings. My students and I have found that the outputs of generative AI systems are most closely aligned with the values and worldviews of wealthy, English-speaking nations. This inherent bias quite naturally constrains the diversity of ideas these systems can generate. More troubling still, brief interactions with AI systems can subtly reshape how
people approach problems and imagine solutions.
One set of experiments tasked participants with making medical diagnoses with the help of AI. However, the researchers designed the experiment so that AI would give some participants flawed suggestions. Even after those participants stopped using the AI tool, they tended to unconsciously adopt those biases and make errors in their own decisions.
What begins as a convenient shortcut risks becoming a self-reinforcing loop of diminishing originality –not because these tools produce objectively poor content, but because they quietly narrow the bandwidth of human creativity itself.
Navigating the cognitive revolution
How can the irreplaceable value of human creativity be preserved amid this flood of synthetic content?
The historical parallel with industrialization offers both caution and hope. Mechanization displaced many workers but also gave rise to new forms of labor, education and prosperity. Similarly, while AI systems may automate some cognitive tasks, they may also open up new intellectual frontiers by simulating intellectual abilities. In doing so, they may take on creative responsibilities, such as inventing novel processes or developing criteria to evaluate their own outputs.
This transformation is only at its early stages. Each new generation of AI models will produce outputs that once seemed like the purview of science fiction. The responsibility lies with professionals, educators and policymakers to shape this cognitive revolution with intention.
Will it lead to intellectual flourishing or dependency? To a renaissance of human creativity or its gradual obsolescence?
The answer, for now, is up in the air.
True creativity, innovation and research are not just probabilistic recombinations of past data. They require conceptual leaps, cross-disciplinary thinking and real-world experience. These are qualities AI cannot replicate. It cannot invent the future. It can only remix the past. What AI generates may satisfy a short-term need: a quick summary, a plausible design, a passable script. But it rarely transforms, and genuine originality risks being drowned in a sea of algorithmic sameness. The challenge, then, isn’t just technological. It’s cultural.
I give Muhammad his props. The Retaliater is available through 48 Hour
Books. Many thanks, Brian, for bringing us, in your words,
“the Black superhero of the 21st Century.”
The Retaliater by Brain Muhammad Cover Art
St. Venerable Pierre Toussaint
