Fancy Ray McCloney
at Taste of Minnesota
By Trena V. Stubbs Associate Publisher
There are entertainers — and then there’s Fancy Ray McCloney, the one and only. This summer, the Minneapolis legend known for his explosive charisma and unforgettable one-liners will co-host Taste of Minnesota 2025, bringing his signature style to the heart of downtown. Taking place July 5–6 along Nicollet Mall and surrounding streets, the revitalized street festival will be a bold celebration of Minnesota’s cultural flavor — and there’s no one more fitting to help lead the charge than Fancy Ray. With decades of television appearances, public service, and community engagement to his name, he’s more than a performer. He’s a brand. A movement. And, as he famously says, “the best-lookin’ man in comedy!”
Known for his sharp wit and magnetic presence, Fancy Ray has built a career that blends humor, activism, and showmanship like no one else. From local commercials and national talk shows to po litical campaigns and public ceremonies, he’s become a cherished icon in Minnesota — celebrated not only for his comedy, but for his ability to connect and uplift. This July, he’ll share the stage with celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern as co-host of Taste of Minnesota, bringing both flavor and flair to a festival that promises to be the high light of the summer. Taste of Minnesota 2025 is gearing up to be bigger and better than ever. With more than 50 local food vendors of fering everything from smoked ribs and gourmet sliders to plant-based bites and global cuisine, the event will deliver a culinary tour of the state’s di verse communities.
Mayor Frey’s Executive Order cements Consent Decree reforms
Mayor Jacob Frey Tuesday
signed an executive order to codify and accelerate Minneapolis’s police reform efforts, following the Trump administration’s decision to abandon the proposed consent decree and the recent dismissal of the decree by a federal judge. Despite the federal government’s retreat, the City is moving forward, reaffirming its commitment to community-driven, transparent, and lasting police reform, the mayor’s office said.
Executive Order 2025-01 will:
By Safiyah Riddle, Charlotte Kramon, and Matt Brown Associated Press/Report For America
President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles to stop protests against his immigration crackdown isn’t the first time an elected U.S. official has sent troops to thwart unrest over civil rights.
But National Guard troops are typically deployed — for a variety of emergencies and natural disasters — with the permission of governors in responding states. Trump, a Republican, sent about 1,000 Cali-
• Direct the City Attorney’s Office to formally identify all reform items from the consent decree that are not already included in or conflicting with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) settlement agreement. Timeline: within 90 days
Request the City Attorney’s Office to advise on steps to enable Effective Law Enforcement for ALL (ELEFA) to independently evaluate the City’s implementation of these reforms alongside those in the
fornia National Guard troops to Los Angeles despite the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats.
Confrontations began Friday when dozens of protesters gathered outside a federal detention center demanding the release of more than 40 people arrested by federal immigration authorities across Los Angeles as part of Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
Trump said he had to federalize the troops to “address the lawlessness” in California. Newsom said Trump’s order was a “complete overreaction” that was “purposely inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.”
MDHR settlement agreement. Timeline: within 30 days
• Require full cooperation from City leaders and employees to implement these reforms. Timeline: immediately “We are committed to police reform, even if the Trump administration is not,” said Mayor Frey. “Our residents demanded meaningful change, and we’re delivering on that promise with this executive order, ensuring the work outlasts politics and any one administration.”
Some previous National Guard deployments have restored peace after violent crackdowns from local law enforcement or vigilante violence, but sometimes troops have intensified tensions in communities and with people who were protesting for civil rights or racial equality.
“The people’s right to peacefully exercise their collective power and challenge this administration’s unjust policies targeting Black and Brown communities must be protected,” leaders of eight legacy civil rights groups, including the NAACP, the National Action Network and the Legal Defense Fund, said in a statement Monday.
This action comes just weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice moved to dismiss the consent decree, abandoning an agreement reached in good faith between the City and the Biden administration. In response, Mayor Frey stood with Chief Brian O’Hara and City leaders to send a clear message: Minneapolis will implement every reform in the 163-page decree, with or without the federal government.
“A consent decree and the settlement agreement
At the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of racial justice organizations, Amara Enyia expressed concern that the federal troop deployment could result in disproportionate arrests and more severe charges for the Black protestors, as was
Jurors have convicted a Minnesota man of killing 5 young woman in a 2023 vehicle crash
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state court jury convicted a Minneapolis-area man Friday of third-degree murder and vehicular homicide in the deaths of five young women in a crash that authorities said was caused by him speeding, running a red light and slamming into their car.
Jurors in Hennepin County District Court deliberated two days before reaching their verdict in the case of Derrick John Thompson, 29, of Brooklyn Park, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported. In November, a federal court jury convicted Thompson on drug and firearms charges because investigators found a handgun, ammunition and illegal drugs in his vehicle after the June 2023 crash, and he is awaiting sentencing in that case.
He was convicted Friday of 15 charges and his sentencing is set for July 24. Third-degree murder is unintentionally causing a death through “eminently dangerous” actions and with “a depraved mind, without regard for human life.”
By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Senior
Correspondent
As National Guard troops flood into Los Angeles at President Donald Trump’s command— without the consent of California’s governor—Black communities across the United States are seeing history repeat itself. The aggressive federal response mirrors what unfolded in Washington, D.C. in 2020, when Trump deployed federal forces to crush protests for George Floyd, resulting in the teargassing of peaceful demonstrators outside the White House. Now, with immigration raids sparking protest in majority-Black and Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles like Compton and Paramount, Trump has again used federal troops to confront civilians. For Black communities in Atlanta, Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis, New Orleans, and other cities where resistance
often rises from the streets, the latest crackdown in Los Angeles is not just another news story—it’s a clear and dangerous signal. Here are five reasons why Black communities nation-
wide should be paying attention: The Federal Response in L.A. Mirrors 2020’s Assault on Black Protestors What Trump is doing in Los Angeles—using military force against protestors without state consent—is the same tactic used against Black-led protests in 2020. From Minneapolis to Washington, D.C., Black communities bore the brunt of that crackdown. This is not a new chapter—it’s a rerun. Cities with High Black Populations Are Often Epicenters for Protest Cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Memphis, and Ferguson have been home to historic uprisings against police
By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Senior
Correspondent
Cuba’s Deputy Director of U.S. Affairs Johana Tablada offered a sobering but impassioned critique of current U.S. policy toward Cuba during an exclusive interview in Washington, D.C., where she called on Americans—especially African Americans—to pay closer attention to the consequences of decades-long sanctions and misinformation. In an interview at Black Press USA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Tablada described the current relationship between the U.S. and Cuba as being “at a low point,” marked by “maximum aggression” from the U.S. government. “It is difficult to describe this as anything but open hostility,” she told National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “This year alone, since January 20, the U.S. has imposed more than a dozen unilateral coercive measures against Cuba.” The NNPA is the trade association representing the more than 200 African American newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America. “On behalf of the Black Press of America, we are very pleased to welcome Secretary General Tablada to the offices of the Black Press of America. It’s important to emphasize the long-lasting and long-standing solidarity between Cuba and Black America,” Chavis declared. “The historic meeting
Sports Napheesa Collier named western conference player of the week
By Jasmyne A. Cannick Black Press USA
march in formation
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune May consent decree press conference
Who will answer the call? A grand summit for Black America cannot wait
By
History does not always announce its turning points. Often, it arrives in silence or chaos, with only those paying close attention recognizing that something foundational is shifting. Today, the signs are impossible to ignore.
Two thousand National Guardsmen in California have been federalized and deployed to Los Angeles. An additional 700 active-duty Marines have been sent into the city. Their stated purpose is to ensure there are “no disruptions” as Immigration and Customs Enforcement carries out widespread raids in communities across the nation. The government is not responding to a threat. It is preemptively using military force to silence protest and control dissent. This is not routine federal action. This is a direct strike at the heart of American democracy. It is a constitutional crisis unfolding before our eyes. And it demands more than statements. It demands coordination. It demands unity. It demands vision.
Black America has been here before. Throughout history, in the face of injustice and repression, Black leaders, communities, and organizations have come together to chart a path forward. These gatherings were not casual or convenient. They were urgent responses to moments of danger and transformation.
In 1905, W.E.B. Du Bois and a generation of Black thought leaders came together for what would become known as the Niagara Movement. They met to organize a national response to the mounting injustices of their time. From that gathering came new energy, new organizations, and a foundation that helped launch the NAACP. It was a moment that met the urgency of history. This is another such moment. The question is not whether it will come. It is whether Black America will meet it.
Now is the time to convene a grand summit of Black America. A purposeful, structured gathering of the institutions, organizations, and leaders that hold moral authority, strategic capacity, and community trust. Not just to talk, but to plan. Not just to raise awareness, but to take collective action.
The infrastructure exists. National Black sororities and fraternities regularly hold Boules and conventions
that bring together thousands of members across the country. Civic organizations such as The Links, Incorporated and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. are deeply connected to families, youth, and communities. The NAACP, with its national presence and historic leadership in civil rights, continues to fight on legal, legislative, and grassroots fronts. Professional associations such as the National Bar Association, the National Medical Association, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the National Association of Black Journalists bring together experts and changemakers across fields. Labor organizations such as the A. Philip Randolph Institute, deeply rooted in the tradition of Black worker advocacy, continue the fight for economic justice. The Congressional Black Caucus plays a key role in shaping policy at the federal level. Black media outlets and independent journalists hold the power to frame narratives, inform the public, and galvanize movements. Socially and culturally, Black America also gathers. From Essence Festival to HBCU homecomings to NBA All-Star Weekend, these are spaces of celebration and connection. But the times we are living through require more than celebration. They require strategy. There is no shortage of leadership. There is no short-
age of knowledge or talent. But what is missing is a national table where these voices can sit together, not just side by side, but in alignment.
A national summit would not be a symbolic event. It would be a space to build shared infrastructure, align advocacy agendas, coordinate rapid response strategies, and develop a long-term vision for the protection and empowerment of Black communities. It would be a place to elevate youth voices alongside elders, to ensure that artists, educators, faith leaders, and movement builders are all part of the conversation. This must be more than a one-time event. It should become a recurring institution. Every four years, Black America should hold its own
convocation for justice, equity, and progress. A place to assess where we are, define where we are going, and reaffirm that we are in this together. The threats facing Black communities today are both old and new. Voter suppression efforts are intensifying. Book bans and curriculum attacks are erasing history. Economic inequality continues to widen. Police violence remains a persistent reality. And now, federal troops are being deployed in American cities to discourage protest before it even begins. In moments like this, fragmentation is a risk we cannot afford. Silence is a risk we cannot afford. Delay is a risk we cannot afford. What is needed is
Honoring Juneteenth through the legacy of George Floyd Commentary
By Trena V. Stubbs
In the heart of George Floyd Square, where pain once pulsed through pavement now softened by flowers and song, a powerful convergence unfolded—a sacred union of memory, resistance, and renewal. As communities across the country honor Juneteenth, Minneapolis offers not just a remembrance of the past, but a resounding commitment to the future. On Day 5 of the Amplified Voices Campaign, held May 23, 2025, the focus shifted toward a powerful and heartfelt journey into collective healing. This day titled, “Healing To- gether: The Role of Art, Faith, and Wellness,” drew elders, youth, activists, healers, and community leaders into a circle—both literal and symbolic—centered on the question: What does healing look like five years after George Floyd’s death?
Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the delayed enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, has always been more than a date. It is a mirror reflecting our ongoing journey toward freedom. In Minneapolis, that journey was illuminated by testimonies of post-traumatic growth, calls for homeownership equity, and calls to reclaim community agency.
Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya opened the event with a ritual grounding, inviting attendees to breathe in peace and exhale inherited fear. “We are still seeds,” she reminded us, “growing deeper roots underground.” It was a fitting metaphor—not just for grief, but for transformation. This was not a community stuck in the shadows of a murder; this was a village declaring its right to wellness.
Joined by voices like Dr. Andre Perry, author of The Black Power Scorecard, the event challenged systems of racial disparity not just in law enforcement, but in housing, education, and wealth. “If we only focus on what harms us,” Perry said, “we limit the tools for our liberation.” His call to shift from trauma-centered organizing to thriving-centered policy echoed the spirit of Juneteenth: a demand not just for survival, but for self-determination. Among the most poignant moments was the presence of Haley Taylor Schlitz, a 22-year-old attorney and columnist for Insight News. With wisdom beyond her years, she declared, “Let this be the final inheritance. Let future genera-
The conversation wasn’t just philosophical. Leaders like Marquita Stephens of the Urban League and Lori Wilson of Turning Point shared the sobering reality of funding cuts that threaten programs designed to create stability through homeownership and culturally specific treatment. “Even warriors must rest,” said Dr. B, “but we must also fight smart—and together.”
Throughout the week, musical performances like “We’ve Had Enough” by Wain McFarlane and Ryan (Rion) Liestman wove sorrow with strength, lifting spirits and reinforcing resolve. This was not
injustice. But the George Floyd observance in Minneapolis adds another layer: healing delayed is injustice too. We cannot wait for systems to offer us peace. We must create it, protect it, and pass it on like an heirloom of hope. So what does healing look like five years later? It looks like a circle— no beginning, no
tions inherit joy uninterrupted.”
Her words, braided with Maya Angelou’s poetry and her own family’s legacy of loss, reminded everyone that Gen Z isn’t waiting to lead—they already are.
performative justice. This was communal soul work—broadcast live, but grounded deeply in local soil. Juneteenth reminds us that freedom delayed is still
Columnist
Haley Taylor Schlitz, Esq.
left to right, Rev. Dr. DeWayne
At the Legislature
DFL stood up for middle class and working Minnesotans
By State Representative Mohamud Noor, DFL
Late last Monday night we concluded our one-day special session to pass the rest of our state budget and wrap up our work for the year. The final bills we passed reflected our closely divided government in that they were true compromises; there’s
some good and not-so-good mixed together in these bills. The bill to kick our undocumented neighbors off of MinnesotaCare, a condition Republicans were willing to shut down the government over, unfortunately passed. While the bill does continue care for children, it kicks thousands off quality and affordable care they rely on. No
new undocumented adults will be able to sign up and coverage for adults will end January 1st. It’s costly, cruel, and just plain un-Minnesotan. I was a strong ‘no’ vote on it, and as soon as the DFL regains full control I hope to reverse it. The main theme of this session was DFLers standing up for middle and working class Minnesotans and the laws
and programs we all rely on. In a time when the federal government is gutting programs like Medicaid to give multimillionaires massive tax cuts we stood firm against state GOP attempts to do the same. We protected massively popular and needed legislation like paid family and medical leave, universal school meals, strong gun violence prevention laws, and so much more. In all, given the nature of
the tie, I feel this session was a success and keeps Minnesota on track to grow and improve! We also passed our Human Services Budget bill.
As Co-Chair of the Human Services Committee, I made sure to minimize the impact our unavoidable cuts would have on our most vulnerable loved ones. We had to make many hard decisions, but even so, there are plenty of silver linings to be proud of.
Legislative session protects earned sick and safe time
TakeAction Minnesota’s Minnesota United Parents (MNUP) last week applauded lawmakers protecting Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) access for all Minnesota workers as the 2025 legislative session drew to a close. Parents and caregivers told legislators session that protecting ESST for all workers in Minnesota, whether they work for a company of four or 40, is crucial to support working families across the state.
By Steve Karnowski Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Adults living in the U.S. illegally will be excluded from a staterun health care program under an overall budget deal that the closely divided Minnesota Legislature convened to pass in a special session Monday.
Repealing a 2023 state law that made those immigrants eligible for the MinnesotaCare program for the working poor was a priority for Republicans in the negotiations that produced the budget agreement. The Legislature is split 101-100, with the House tied and Democrats holding just a one-seat majority in the Senate, and the health care compromise was a bitter pill for Democrats to accept.
The change is expected to affect about 17,000 residents.
After an emotional near four-hour debate, the House aroved the bill 68-65. Under the agreement, the top House Democratic leader, Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, was the only member of her caucus to vote yes. The bill then went to the Senate, where it passed 37-30. Democratic Ma-
From 3 are at the intersection of police reform and reimagining community safety,” said Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette. “They are not barriers to good policing—they are tools to building a safer, more equi-
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true during protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd.
Both military and police officers will have an “everything is a target” mentality, said Enyia, who is co-executive director of the coalition’s programs, campaigns and policy work.
“It is a very frightening proposition, one that does not bode well for the rights of people in this country,” she said.
On rare occasion, presidents have invoked an 18th-century wartime law called the Insurrection Act, which is the main legal mechanism that a president can use to activate the military or National Guard during times of rebellion or unrest. Other times they have relied on another federal law that allows the president to federalize National Guard troops under certain circumstances, which is
Minnesota United Parents (MNUP) said it successfully engaged parents, caregivers, and neighbors from every corner of the state resulting in over 2,600 conversations by over1,700 TakeAction members contacting their legislators to protect the universal care policy.
Amanda Otero, Co-Executive Director of TakeAction Minnesota, said, “Sick is sick. All Minnesotans deserve the ability to recover from illness, escape an unsafe situation, or care for a loved one—regardless of their job or employer. We are grateful for the thousands of parents, caregivers, and neighbors who contacted their elected leaders to protect universal
access to Earned Sick and Safe Time for all Minnesotans this legislative session.” “TakeAction Minnesota and Minnesota United Parents are eager to continue the work of building the power of parents and caregivers to organize at the Capitol and in our communities to ensure everyday families can win what they need and deserve to keep their family, their schools, and their communities safe and healthy,” Otero said. TakeAction Minnesota is a statewide, independent, multiracial people’s organization working to advance democracy and equity through organizing, political action, and campaigns. Offices are located in St. Paul and Duluth.
jority Leader Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, called it “a wound on the soul of Minnesota,” but kept her promise to vote yes as part of the deal, calling it “among the most painful votes I’ve ever taken.”
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who insisted on maintaining eligibility for children who aren’t in the country legally, has promised to sign the legislation, and all 13 other bills scheduled for action in the special session, to complete a $66 billion, twoyear budget that will take effect July 1.
table City, and we are committed to seeing this work through to improve our accountability and create lasting, sustainable change.”
“With or without federal oversight, we will go beyond what is required and deliver real, lasting change for our residents,” said Chief O’Hara.
“Our continuing goal is making sure the MPD is the best police
what Trump did on Saturday. Still, some experts told The Associated Press that the current standoff in Los Angeles is not comparable, from a legal perspective, to past situations.
“I think that the provision that Trump is using is really an exception to the norm,” said Bernadette Meyler, a professor of constitutional law at Stanford University.
Here is a look at some of the most notable deployments:
George Floyd protests in Los Angeles in 2020
Almost five years ago, Newsom deployed approximately 8,000 National Guard troops to quell protests over racial injustice inspired by the Floyd’s death in Minnesota. Well over half the troops deployed in California were sent to Los Angeles County, where police arrested more than 3,000 people. City officials, including then-Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, supported Newsom’s decision.
Yale historian Eliza-
“This is 100% about the GOP campaign against immigrants,” said House Democratic Floor Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, who voted no.
“From Trump’s renewed travel ban announced this week, to his effort to expel those with protected status, to harassing students here to study, to disproportionate military and law enforcement responses that we’ve seen from Minneapolis to L.A., this all comes back to attacking
department in the country and providing the people of Minneapolis the excellent policing service they deserve.”
“This executive order outlines the chief executive officer’s mandate and commitment to police reform efforts in the City of Minneapolis,” said Civil Rights Director Michelle Phillips. “The Civil Rights Department and the Office of Po-
beth Hinton, who wrote a book about race-related uprisings and police violence, said the 2020 protests were characterized as violent but for the most part were not.
That’s even truer today, she said.
“There is no imminent threat that would require the mass deployment of militarized troops,” Hinton said.
Rodney King protests in 1992
Some have compared Trump’s decision on Saturday to George H.W. Bush’s use of the Insurrection Act to respond to the uprising in Los Angeles in 1992, after the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped severely beating King, a Black motorist. In just six days, the protests became among the deadliest in American history. Sixty-three people died, nine of whom were killed by police.
Syreeta Danley, a teacher from South Central Los Angeles, said she vividly remembers as a teen seeing black smoke from her porch during the 1992 uprisings.
immigrants and the name of dividing us.”
But GOP Rep. Jeff Backer, of Browns Valley, the lead author of the bill, said taxpayers shouldn’t have to subsidize health care for people who aren’t in the country legally.
Backer said California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has proposed freezing enrollment for immigrants without legal status in a similar state-funded program and that
lice Conduct Review will continue its implementation of the consent decree provisions and work with our partners to drive positive and sustainable change through police accountability.”
Minneapolis continues to be recognized nationally for its progress on police accountability. Last month, the independent evaluator highlighted the City as making greater
She said some people in her neighborhood were still more afraid of the police than the National Guard because once the troops left, local police “had the green light to continue brutalizing people.”
The National Guard can enforce curfews like they did in 1992, but that won’t stop people from showing up to protest, Danley said.
“I have lived long enough to know that people will push back, and I’m here for it,” Danley said.
Watts protests in 1965
There were deadly protests in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1965 in response to pent-up anger over an abusive police force and lack of community resources. Over 30 people were killed, twothirds of whom were shot by police or National Guard troops. Many say the neighborhood has never fully recovered from fires that leveled hundreds of buildings.
Breeze McDonald, a doctoral student and local
Illinois’ Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, has proposed cutting a similar program.
He said residents can still buy health insurance on the private market regardless of their immigration status.
“This is about being fiscally responsible,” Backer said.
Enrollment by people who entered the country illegally in MinnesotaCare has run triple the initial projections,
strides in its first year of monitoring than nearly any other city operating under a court-enforceable reform agreement.
Several reforms from the consent decree are already covered in the MDHR settlement agreement, including community engagement, use of force, fair and impartial policing, body-worn cameras, and training.
school district employee from South Central Los Angeles, says she is still haunted by scars her aunt sustained after she was hosed down during the 1965 protests, and her own memories of the 1992 uprisings.
“A lot of the anger happened because our voices weren’t being heard. Because instead of stopping to listen, you decided to employ the National Guard,” McDonald said.
Integration protests in the 1950 and 1960s In 1956, the governor of Tennessee assigned National Guard troops to help enforce integration in Clinton, Tennessee, after white supremacists violently resisted federal orders to desegregate.
President Dwight Eisenhower called the Arkansas National Guard and the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army in 1957 to escort nine Black students as they integrated a previously white-only school.
In 1963, Maryland’s Democratic Gov. J Millard Tawes deployed the Maryland
which Republicans said could have pushed the costs over $600 million over the next four years. Critics said the change won’t save any money because those affected will forego preventive care and need much more expensive care later.
“People don’t suddenly stop getting sick when they don’t have insurance, but they do put off seeking care until a condition gets bad enough to require a visit to the emergency room, increasing overall health care costs for everyone,” Bernie Burnham, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, told reporters at a news conference organized by the critics. Walz and legislative leaders agreed on the broad framework for the budget over four weeks ago, contrasting the bipartisan cooperation that produced it with the deep divisions at the federal level in Washington.
But with the tie in the House and the razor-thin Senate Democratic majority, few major policy initiatives got off the ground before the regular session ended May 19. Leaders announced Friday that the details were settled and that they had enough votes to pass everything in the budget package.
The Executive Order takes effect immediately and remains in force, even into future mayoral administrations, unless repealed by executive authority. It reinforces Minneapolis’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and structural reform to build a safer and more equitable city.
National Guard to the small town of Cambridge to mediate violent clashes between white mobs and Black protesters demanding desegregation. The troops remained there for two years. Selma, Alabama, voting rights protest in 1965 National Guard troops played a pivotal role in the march often credited with pressuring the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Nonviolent protesters calling for the right to vote — including the late Congressman John Lewis — were brutally assaulted by Alabama State Troopers in Selma, Alabama. Two weeks later, then-President Lyndon B. Johnson sent National Guard troops to escort thousands of protesters along the 50-mile (80-kilometer) march to the state Capitol. Johnson’s decision was at odds with then-Gov. George Wallace, who staunchly supported segregation.
State Representative Mohamud Noor
Amanda Otero
AP Photo/Steve Karnowski
Immigrant rights activists protest outside the Minnesota House chamber at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Monday, June 9, 2025, against legislation that
Photo/Steve
between President Fidel Castro and Malcolm X in the 1960s in Harlem, New York, epitomized not only the friendship but the comradeship between freedom fighters in America with freedom fighters in Cuba.” U.S. sanctions, Tablada noted, go far beyond restricting trade—they now include denying visas to Cuban athletes and scientists, interfering with cultural exchanges, and cutting remittances through Western Union. “The Cuban Olympic Committee’s president wasn’t granted a visa to attend events in the U.S.,” she said. “And this during a cycle leading up to the Olympics in Los Angeles.”
Tablada specifically pointed to the Trump administration’s reinstatement of Cuba on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism as fraudulent and damaging. “It’s a designation based on lies,” she said. “And when a country is placed on that list, it becomes nearly impossible to receive oil, medical supplies, or even financial transfers due to global banking fears.” She drew a sharp contrast between the current state of U.S.-Cuba policy and the optimism that accompanied President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Havana in 2016. “We had a breakthrough,” she declared. “We were talking and engag-
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violence and systemic racism. These cities are likely to be on the federal radar again if unrest rises—especially under a Trump administration with
Immigration
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ing respectfully—even when we disagreed. That’s no longer happening.” Throughout the 40-minute interview, Tablada spoke fondly of the long-standing solidarity between Cuba and the African American community. She invoked the legacy of Malcolm X, the symbolism of his 1960 meeting with Fidel Castro in Harlem, and Cuba’s military support for liberation movements in Angola and South Africa. “Cuba is the only country in Latin America that went back to Africa and fought and died to end apartheid,” she said. “That bond with the African diaspora is deep and permanent.”
She noted that Cuban identity and culture are inextricably linked to Africa. “Our music, our food, our sense of
expanded authority and a clear record of targeting protest. Project 2025 Would Strip Civil Rights Protections and Expand Federal Policing Project 2025, developed by Trump allies at the Heritage Foundation, outlines plans to dismantle the DOJ’s civil rights division, roll back
delusional. How does the African proverb go?
honor—it all comes from Mother Africa. And we have a responsibility to protect that legacy,” she remarked. Tablada called the decades-long U.S. embargo—enforced through a patchwork of laws, including the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act, the Helms-Burton Act, and the Torricelli Act—an unprecedented and inhumane measure.
“There is no other country in the world that faces this level of comprehensive economic warfare,” she said. “It’s not just unfair; it’s provoked suffering and hardship.” She added that Cuba has never retaliated with sanctions or actions against the United States, highlighting the one-sided nature of the policy. The diplomat also pushed back on U.S. accusations of forced
diversity programs, and grant the president sweeping control over law enforcement. That puts Black-led movements, Black mayors, and Black communities directly in harm’s way. Federal Overreach Bypasses Local Black Leadership Many majority-Black
He who digs a grave for his enemy might as well be digging one for himself.
labor in Cuba’s international medical missions. “We operate in 56 countries with agreements supported by the United Nations,” she said. “Yes, those missions generate income to fund our free healthcare system—but calling that human trafficking is a grotesque lie. The U.S. is spending millions to manufacture pretexts for aggression.” Tablada warned that U.S. policies are even affecting tourism and access to energy. “Today, the U.S. actively blocks vessels from delivering oil to Cuba. It pressures other countries to deny Cuba tourism access,” she asserted. “And then it blames us for the resulting blackouts and scarcities. This is not diplomacy. This is punishment.”
Despite the challenges, Tablada expressed hope for the people of the United States. “I believe that if Americans—especially African Americans—knew the full truth, they would reject these policies,” she said. “Because they have always stood on the side of justice, from civil rights to solidarity with global liberation movements.” She extended an invitation for the Black Press of America to work with Cuban journalists to strengthen the exchange of truth. “Let’s put Cuba back on the radar,” she said. “The people of both countries want peace, not conflict.” Chavis added that the Black Press plans to travel to Cuba soon. “We are planning to take a delegation of the Black
From 3 Playbook
cities are led by Black mayors and city councils. But in 2020 and now again in 2025, the Trump administration has shown a willingness to ignore or override local Black leadership, sending in troops regardless of opposition. That same strategy could be applied to any Blackrun city.
Your Citizenship Won’t Save You
Thinking your American citizenship, your clean record, your church attendance, and being “prayed up” is gonna save you?
I hate to break it to you, but it won’t. This country is shifting. Fast. And not in our favor. What’s legal today can be criminalized tomorrow with a signature, a press conference, and a spin cycle on Fox News. And if you think that sounds dramatic, remember: we used to be illegal. Our bodies, our marriages, our votes, our very presence— criminalized. Legal status didn’t protect us then, and it won’t save us now. You can’t outrun anti-Blackness with paperwork, paychecks, or prayers.
So no—don’t get too comfortable just because you’re not on the list today. History shows us that when they run out of folks to target, they make new rules for the rest of us.
And if you don’t believe that?
Ask a Black immigrant. Ask a trans youth. Ask a woman in Texas. Ask a Palestinian protester. Ask your ancestors. That Assata Quote Won’t Cover Your Absence
And let me say this— especially to the brothas and sistas who love to call themselves “conscious,” “woke,” “revolutionary,” or whatever term is trending this week—while you’re sitting this one out, all quiet and unbothered, you’re
Convicted
“His choices that day scarred many lives and affected an entire community,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told reporters following the verdict, according to KARE-TV. The Minneapolis crash victims — Salma Abdikadir, Siham Adam, Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade and Sagal Hersi — were between 17 and 20 years old, on their way home from preparations for a friend’s wedding. Their deaths sparked sorrow and outage among Min-
Press to visit Havanna to work out a strategic alliance between the Cuban press and the Black Press of America,” Chavis insisted. “Our interests are vital, our interests are common, not only for the present but for the future.” Asked what gives her hope, Tablada answered without hesitation: “Our youth. And the truth. When people talk to each other honestly, good things happen.” Tablada said she would welcome a conversation with President Trump himself. “Let’s talk. Cuba is not an enemy of the United States,” she said. “Let’s stop the lies and sit down. Every time we’ve done that, progress followed.”
Bloomberg News reported that Trump’s ventures now span financial services, gun sales, and drone part manufacturing. His family members have secured corporate appointments, including at least seven executive roles for Donald Trump Jr. The brazenness has raised alarm among longtime observers. “By conventional Washington standards, the stillyoung Trump administration is a candidate for the most brazen use of government office in American history,” wrote Peter Baker of the New York Times, citing the potential to eclipse even Watergate and the Teapot Dome scandal. One of the more glaring examples occurred recently when Jeff Bezos reportedly agreed to finance a promotional film for Melania Trump following a dinner at Mar-a-La-
Trump’s Rhetoric
Continues to Criminalize Black Dissent
Trump’s language— labeling protestors as “looters” and “thugs”—was widely condemned in 2020 as racist and inflammatory. Now, he’s using it again in response to the L.A. demonstrations. Black voices
sending a loud message to your Black immigrant cousins: you’re on your own. And don’t hit me with the “that’s not my fight” nonsense. Because if you’re out here quoting Marcus Garvey, rocking red, black, and green, posting Pan-African flags, but turning your back on Black folks being deported, detained, or banned from entering this country—you’re not conscious. You’re just curated. You’re not radical. You’re selective. Pan-Africanism isn’t about vibes, fashion, or throwing up a fist on Instagram. It means all Black people everywhere. Even the ones who don’t sound like you. Even the ones who weren’t born here. Even the ones ICE is coming for at 5am
If your liberation has borders, it’s not liberation—it’s branding. So, while you’re off somewhere being too “busy” or “neutral,” know that silence is a choice. And that choice tells your Black immigrant fam exactly where they stand with you.
And that’s the part you won’t be able to pretty up with a quote from Assata.
You’re Watching the Warning Play Out in Real Time
This was always supposed to be about the “bad hombres,” right? That’s what Trump said. That was the sales pitch. And no, that was never a good or moral argument—but at least that was the lie they told to get folks comfortable.
Fast forward to now—and they’re snatching people from their homes, their jobs, and their kids’ gradua-
go. The $28 million deal—280 times the amount Hillary Clinton once earned from a 1980s cattle futures investment that sparked weeks of scandal—has gone largely unnoticed in Washington.
In another instance, Qatar handed over a luxury aircraft valued at $200 million, officially donated to the Air Force but intended for Trump’s use, including his future presidential library. Unlike his predecessors, Trump has refused to divest or establish a blind trust for his business interests. Instead, he retains control of a family-run trust that allows him to profit directly from decisions made in office. According to Open Secrets, special interests have adapted accordingly— hosting fundraisers and galas at Trump-owned properties, effectively turning campaignwevents into revenue streams for the president. What once would have prompted congressional hearings and federal investigations now barely moves the political needle. Trump has replaced watchdogs and ethics officials with loyalists and ensured that allies lead the Justice Department, the FBI, and other key agencies. With a Republican-controlled Congress declining to investigate, Democrats and watchdog groups have found it nearly impossible to hold Trump accountable. “There will be no official investigations because Mr. Trump has made sure of it,” Baker wrote.
demanding justice are still being framed as threats, justifying federal crackdowns in ways that disproportionately affect Black communities.
tions. Broad daylight kidnappings dressed up as law enforcement. No warrants. No dignity. No shame. Just vibes, badges, and trauma.
So, if you’re still pretending this is about criminals—you’re not paying attention. Or you’re lying to yourself. Either way, they’re coming for you next.
Now, this isn’t the only reason Black folks should care and stay tapped in. But for the “I’m just minding my own Black business” crowd? This might be the best one I’ve got. Because what happens to immigrants is your business. What happens when systems get away with dehumanizing them is a blueprint for how they’ll come for you next. If history’s taught us anything, it’s that silence doesn’t protect us—it just clears the runway. This moment calls for more than petty satisfaction. It calls for clarity, memory, and solidarity rooted in survival. Because history has shown us— again and again—that when the system finishes eating the folks it came for first, it always circles back for us.
Jasmyne Cannick is a political strategist and writer in Los Angeles. Find her @iamjasmyne.com.
A Gen X award-winning journalist, political and culture commentator, producer, strategist, and activist—serving sharp takes and even sharper looks.Cannick built her name and career at the intersection of media, politics, and activism— shaping narratives, influencing policy, and making a statement on and off the mic.
nesota’s sizeable Somali American population. Prosecutors have said Thompson was driving a black Cadillac Escalade on a Minnesota freeway at 95 mph (153 kph) in a 55 mph- (89 kph-) speed zone and abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway, flying by a state highway patrol trooper. Thompson’s defense attorney, Tyler Bliss, raised questions about whether Thompson’s brother might have played a role in the crash that authorities did not investigate. The brother was not charged and testified that he didn’t drive the SUV the night of the crash and Thompson was the last person he saw behind the wheel. Bliss called that testimony “self-serving.” Thompson previously served part of an eight-year prison sentence in California in connection with a 2018 hitand-run accident that severely injured a woman in the Santa Barbara area. He was released from prison there months before the crash in Minneapolis. Court records show that Thompson is the son of a former Democratic state representative from St. Paul who was sharply critical of police during his one term in office.
National Newspaper Publisher Association, President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. and Cuba’s Deputy Director of U.S. Affairs Johana Tablada
Insight 2 Health
US health care is rife with high costs and deep inequities, and that’s no accident – a public health historian explains how the system was shaped to serve profit and politicians
By Zachary W. Schulz Senior Lecturer of History, Auburn University
A few years ago, a student in my history of public health course asked why her mother couldn’t afford insulin without insurance, despite having a full-time job. I told her what I’ve come to believe: The U.S. health care system was deliberately built this way.
People often hear that health care in America is dysfunctional – too expensive, too complex and too inequitable. But dysfunction implies failure. What if the real problem is that the system is functioning exactly as it was designed to? Understanding this legacy is key to explaining not only why reform has failed repeatedly, but why change remains so difficult.
I am a historian of public health with experience researching oral health access and health care disparities in the Deep South. My work focuses on how historical policy choices continue to shape the systems we rely on today.
By tracing the roots of today’s system and all its problems, it’s easier to understand why American health care looks the way it does and what it will take to reform it into a system that provides high-quality, affordable care for all. Only by confronting how profit, politics and prejudice have shaped the current system can Americans imagine and demand something different.
Decades of compromise
My research and that of many others show that today’s high costs, deep inequities and fragmented care are predictable features developed from decades of policy choices that prioritized profit over people, entrenched racial and regional hierarchies, and treated health care as a commodity rather than a public good.
Over the past century,
U.S. health care developed not from a shared vision of universal care, but from compromises that prioritized private markets, protected racial hierarchies and elevated individual responsibility over collective well-being.
Employer-based insurance emerged in the 1940s, not from a commitment to worker health but from a tax policy workaround during wartime wage freezes. The federal government allowed employers to offer health benefits tax-free, incentivizing coverage while sidestepping nationalized care. This decision bound health access to employment status, a structure that is still dominant today. In contrast, many other countries with employer-provided insurance pair it with robust public options, ensuring that access is not tied solely to a job.
In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid programs greatly expanded public health infrastructure. Unfortunately, they also reinforced and deepened existing inequalities. Medicare, a federally administered program for people over 64, primarily benefited wealthier Americans who had access to stable, formal employment and employer-based insurance during their working years. Medicaid, designed by Congress as a joint federal-state program, is aimed at the poor, including many people with disabilities. The combination of federal and state oversight resulted in 50 different programs with widely variable eligibility, coverage and quality.
Southern lawmakers, in particular, fought for this decentralization. Fearing federal oversight of public health spending and civil rights enforcement, they sought to maintain control over who received benefits. Historians have shown that these efforts were primarily designed to restrict access to health care benefits along racial lines during the Jim Crow period of time.
Bloated bureaucracies, ‘creeping socialism’ Today, that legacy is painfully visible.
States that chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are overwhelmingly located in the South and include several with large Black populations. Nearly 1 in 4 uninsured Black adults are uninsured because they fall into the coverage gap – unable to access affordable health insurance – they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to receive subsidies through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace.
The system’s architecture also discourages care aimed at prevention. Because Medicaid’s scope is limited and inconsistent, preventive care screenings, dental cleanings and chronic disease management often fall through the cracks. That leads to costlier, later-stage care that further burdens hospitals and patients alike.
Meanwhile, cultural attitudes around concepts like “rugged individualism” and “freedom of choice” have long been deployed to resist public solutions. In the postwar decades, while European nations built national health care systems, the U.S. reinforced a market-driven approach.
Publicly funded systems were increasingly portrayed by American politicians and industry leaders as threats to individual freedom – of-
LGBTQ+ patients stay up-to-date on preventive care when their doctors are supportive, saving money and lives throughout society
By Nathaniel M. Tran Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois Chicago
When LGBTQ+ patients are unsure if they can be open about their identity and related health needs, it becomes more difficult for them to access high-quality health care.
In our recently published research, my colleagues and I found that how LGBTQ+ people are treated at the doctor’s office has a measurable effect on whether they stay up to date with lifesaving preventive care like flu shots, colorectal cancer screenings and HIV testing. Results of affirming care
We examined how LGBTQ+ adults rated their health care provider across three areas: LGBTQ+ cultural competency, such as if providers used inclusive language on forms and in person; LGBTQ+ clinical competency, such as their doctor’s knowledge on all aspects of their health; and experiences of discrimination, such as being told to seek care elsewhere. After analyzing survey data on the experiences of more than 950 LGBTQ+ adults from across the U.S., we saw that three clear patterns emerged.
First, 34% of participants reported having positive health care experiences – meaning their providers were culturally and clinically competent about LGBTQ+ health needs, and did not discriminate against
them. These patients were more likely to be up to date on at least one preventive service recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, compared to those receiving neutral or discriminatory care.
Second, 60% of participants reported having neutral experiences, when their providers were clinically competent about LGBTQ+ health needs and didn’t discriminate against them, but were not culturally competent. These patients were 43% less likely to get an HIV test compared to patients reporting affirming care.
Third, 6% of participants reported experiencing discrimination, when their providers were neither culturally nor clinically competent on LGBTQ+ health. These patients were 24% less likely to get a colorectal cancer screening compared to patients reporting affirming care.
Most LGBTQ+ adults in our study reported neutral or even discriminatory care, which leads to avoidable health risks and higher costs for the health system. This provides additional evidence that being supportive of LGBTQ+ patients has measurable improvements for health outcomes. Why preventive care matters Preventive care saves lives and saves money. When diseases like colorectal cancer or HIV are caught early, treatments are often simpler, more effective and less expensive.
When LGBTQ+ patients are made to feel unwelcome or unsafe, we found that they are less likely to get routine
preventive care, ultimately driving up long-term costs across the health system. States like North Carolina and Georgia that have more health systems participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index, which evaluates policies and practices around LGBTQ+ care, had higher rates of LGBTQ+ patients reporting positive care experiences compared to states with few participating health systems, such as Tennessee and Alabama.
Other researchers have found that health systems participating in the Healthcare Equality Index have lower rates of nurse burnout and better quality of care, along with higher patient satisfaction among all patients.
Public health in crisis
This study was originally funded by the National Institute on Aging, but it was among the first LGBTQ+-focused projects terminated by the Trump administration in its efforts to eliminate “gender ideology.”
Our team has continued the work independently to ensure that the over 1,250 participants who already shared their experiences and data would not have this information sit idly.
Our findings reinforce what many LGBTQ+ patients already know – nonjudgmental and competent care is not a luxury, but a public health necessity.
ten dismissed as “socialized medicine” or signs of creeping socialism. In 1961, for example, Ronald Reagan recorded a 10-minute LP titled “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine,” which was distributed by the American Medical Association as part of a national effort to block Medicare.
The health care system’s administrative complexity ballooned beginning in the 1960s, driven by the rise of state-run Medicaid programs, private insurers and increasingly fragmented billing systems. Patients were expected to navigate opaque billing codes, networks and formularies, all while trying to treat, manage and prevent illness. In my view, and that of other scholars, this isn’t accidental but rather a form of profitable confusion built into the system to benefit insurers and intermediaries.
Coverage gaps, chronic disinvestment Even well-meaning reforms have been built atop this structure. The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, expanded access to health insurance but preserved many of the system’s underlying inequities. And by
subsidizing private insurers rather than creating a public option, the law reinforced the central role of private companies in the health care system.
The public option – a government-run insurance plan intended to compete with private insurers and expand coverage – was ultimately stripped from the Affordable Care Act during negotiations due to political opposition from both Republicans and moderate Democrats.
When the U.S. Supreme Court made it optional in 2012 for states to offer expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, it amplified the very inequalities that the ACA sought to reduce.
These decisions have consequences. In states like Alabama, an estimated 220,000 adults remain uninsured due to the Medicaid coverage gap –the most recent year for which reliable data is available – highlighting the ongoing impact of the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid.
In addition, rural hospitals have closed, patients forgo care, and entire counties lack practicing OB/GYNs or dentists. And when people do get care – especially in states where many remain uninsured – they can amass medical debt that can upend their lives.
All of this is compounded by chronic disinvestment in public health. Federal funding for emergency preparedness has declined for years, and local health departments are underfunded and understaffed.
This is not an accidental web of dysfunction. It is a system that transforms complexity into capital, bureaucracy into barriers.
Patients – especially the uninsured and underinsured – are left to make impossible choices: delay treatment or take on debt, ration medication or skip checkups, trust the health care system or go without. Meanwhile, I believe the rhetoric of choice and freedom disguises how constrained most people’s options really are. Other countries show us that alternatives are possible. Systems in Germany, France and Canada vary widely in structure, but all prioritize universal access and transparency. Understanding what the U.S. health care system is designed to do – rather than assuming it is failing unintentionally – is a necessary first step toward considering meaningful change.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed just how brittle the infrastructure is – especially in low-income and rural communities, where overwhelmed clinics, delayed testing, limited hospital capacity, and higher mortality rates exposed the deadly consequences of neglect. A system by design Change is hard not because reformers haven’t tried before, but because the system serves the very interests it was designed to serve. Insurers profit from obscurity – networks that shift, formularies that confuse, billing codes that few can decipher. Providers profit from a fee-for-service model that rewards quantity over quality, procedure over prevention. Politicians reap campaign contributions and avoid blame through delegation, diffusion and plausible deniability.
Credit: Pexels/ Pranidchakan Boonrom
Person Getting His Blood Check
PLAY LIKE IT’S 1985!
This scratch game’s more fun than a boombox with volume set to the max. You could win up to $88,000 in boss retro style. No Time Machine required. Shoulder pads encouraged.
OP-ED: standing guard: a legacy of equity, a future of action
By Shawna Young CEO of Camelback Ventures
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWS-
IRE- With over $8 million invested in 180+ ventures reaching 5 million lives, Camelback Ventures isn’t just marking 10 years—it’s doubling down.
We’re in a moment when hard-won progress is being unraveled—progress built on fairness and opportunity. Camelback’s work proves that inclusive innovation is American innovation. This isn’t just a moral issue—it’s a strategic one. To sustain that progress, we must keep funding visionary
leaders and protect their stories and their impact.
Ten years ago, Camelback Ventures was founded on a simple belief: genius is equally distributed; opportunity is not. Since then, we’ve invested over $8 million in more than 180 ventures, reaching 5 million lives. Our success is more than metrics—it’s a movement. And our work is far from done. If anything, investing in the genius of diverse founders matters more than ever.
The 2025 Guardian Summit is both a celebration of our first decade and a strategic gathering for what comes next. Over two days, we’ll bring together founders, funders, educa-
tors, creatives, and champions to focus on what underinvested founders need now: capital, connections, and coaching.
We see the power of this approach in leaders like Reuben Ogbonna of the Marcy Lab School. With targeted support, Reuben built a high-impact, one-year tech training program, opening career pathways for young people from low-income backgrounds—many of whom had been locked out of traditional opportunities.
We built the Summit to foster deep connections. It features founder-led innovation studios, opportunities for rejuvenation, and a dedicated space to honor those shaping the future.
What’s ahead for Camelback? We’re moving more capital into the hands of underinvested entrepreneurs, from early-stage to sustained support. We’re evolving our fellowship to offer wraparound services—fiscal sponsorship, infrastructure consulting, and more—so founders can thrive at every stage. This moment—and this summit—is an invitation. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or ally, you belong here.
NOAH funds available for eligible developers
The City of Minneapolis is accepting applications for the Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) Preservation Fund. This fund provides loans to housing providers and emerging developers. The loans must be used to acquire unsubsidized housing and preserve its affordability. This ensures that residents can stay in their affordable rental homes.
riority to applications for loans to preserve buildings: With a high number of affordable units at or below 50% of area median income (AMI)
• For more than 10 years
• Being bought by emerging developers connected to the neighborhood
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Interested developers must meet with NOAH program staff before applying. Email NOAH program staff to request a pre-application meeting. Email must include the address(es) of the property to be acquired. The department of Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED) supports emerging real estate developers through its Developers Technical Assistance Program (DTAP). New dates have been announced for the Intro to Real Estate Development training program.
The informational workshop Is Real Estate Right for You is a prerequisite for In-
tro to Real Estate Development.
Attend a session in July or September to learn more about the DTAP training program and application process. New Nicollet Development Framework approved, implementation begins soon After three years of planning and engagement, the New Nicollet Development Framework was approved by the City Council on May 1 and signed by Mayor Frey on May 5. The Framework guides future development of the former Kmart site at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue. It outlines building types and how the project will move forward in phases. Minneapolis will release a request for proposals
(RFP) later this year for Phase 1, which will focus on the southeast portion of the site. This first phase includes: • Affordable housing • Ground floor commercial space Areas for community use
Once a developer is selected for Phase 1, construction is expected to take three to five years.
Work is underway to rebuild Nicollet Avenue between Lake Street and Cecil Newman Lane, through the former Kmart site. Build a more diverse workforce with skills-based hiring The Minneapolis
Workforce Development Board and metro area partners are supporting a half-day Minnesota Skills-based Hiring Accelerator workshop on June 24. Employers can learn more about best practices in talent acquisition and development. From job descriptions to interviewing to training, improve ability to as-
Trump’s $143M parade met with coast-to-coast rebellion
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In one of the most outlandish displays of ego and perhaps the most expensive show of arrogance in American history, Donald Trump’s estimated $143 million birthday, and military parade will roll through downtown Washington, D.C In one of the most outlandish displays of ego and perhaps the most expensive show of arrogance in American history, Donald Trump’s estimated $143 million birthday, and military parade will roll through downtown Washington, D.C., on Saturday, June 14. The celebration, billed as a tribute to America’s military and a national celebration of Trump, has sparked outrage across the country—and an unprecedented response. The race-baiting, 34-times convicted felon told reporters in the Oval Office that they’ll be “celebrating big on Saturday.” He added that if any protesters show up, “they will be met with very big force. I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.”
The menacing tone and threats come as tens of
thousands are preparing to take part in over 2,000 “No Kings Day” protests planned in cities across the nation. Organized by Indivisible and a coalition of progressive groups, the demonstrations are meant to rebuke Trump’s authoritarian behavior and remind the public that, as the event’s tagline puts it, “In America, we don’t do kings.”
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” reads the protest website. “The corruption has gone too. Far.” While the president dismissed demonstrators protesting his immigration raids in Los Angeles as “paid insurrectionists,” critics note the bitter irony—given that Trump pardoned hundreds of actual insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, seeking to hang the vice president, kill members of Congress, and overturn a lawful election. That violent attack led to multiple deaths, including of law enforcement officers. Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, told MSNBC that the “No Kings Day” actions— announced before the parade was confirmed—have received “overwhelming interest,” especially after Trump’s violent
crackdown on protestors in Los Angeles. Organizers made a strategic decision not to hold a mass protest in D.C. itself, saying they didn’t want Trump’s militarized spectacle to become the day’s center of gravity. Instead, protests around the country will feature civil rights-era songs, grassroots speeches, and symbolic displays of unity.
Among the most striking acts of defiance planned: thousands of African Americans and allies say they will prominently display photos of former President Barack Obama during the protests, a deliberate counter to the man who spent years trying to delegitimize Obama’s presidency and erase his legacy. As author and activist Anne Lamott noted, “We the people make the best placards — my favorites from the ‘Hands Off’ march were ‘Honk if you never drunk-texted war plans’ and ‘Now you’ve pissed off the grandmothers.’” Organizers say the protests are more than symbolic—they are a declaration that the public will not sit quietly in the face of tyranny, repression, and staged propaganda parades funded by taxpayer dollars.
“In America, we don’t do kings,” Levin said. “We do democracy.”
Because we aren’t just celebrating 10 years. We are standing guard over the next 10.
Shawna Young, Camelback Ventures | 2024 Guardian Summit in New Orleans.
Source: Ashley Lorraine
Learn more about the 2025 Guardian Summit by scanning the QR code .
By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Photo by Jodi Jacobson
Moorestown’s motorcycles and flags at the 4th of July Parade Children images
Napheesa Collier named
rebounds and 5 assists, going 8-13 from the floor as part of Minnesota’s season-best 58.6% shooting. Collier became the 29th player in WNBA history to record 50 career double-doubles with her point/rebound performance.
and ninth time in her career, the second-most weekly honors of any Lynx player (Maya Moore, 20), and the 52nd all-time weekly award won by Minnesota. Collier helped Minnesota to a 9-0 record, extending the season-opening win streak and propelling the team to its best start since 2017. As the team’s leading scorer in each of two games last week, the forward tabbed her 50th and 51st career double-doubles, and her fifth straight. Collier averaged 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks while shooting 56.3% from the field in the two-game span.
During Minnesota’s 88-65 win over Phoenix on June 3, Collier posted 18 points, 11
Against the Wings on June 8, Collier’s 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals helped the Lynx secure an 81-65 win over Dallas. Throughout the game, the forward shot 52.6% from the field (10-19), 50% from three (3-6) and 100% from the freethrow line (5-5). Collier tabbed her 1,000th career defensive rebound and 200th career block in the contest, marking her third career 5x3 game (pts/reb/ast/ stl/blk) and second this season (5/23 vs. Conn.).
Collier currently leads WNBA in scoring (25.5 PPG) and steals (2.25 SPG), is tied for fifth in rebounding (8.9 RPG) and ranks sixth in blocks (1.38 BPG).
Collier scores 28, McBride hits 6 3-pointers and the Lynx beat the Wings 81-65
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)
— Napheesa Collier had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Kayla McBride made six 3-pointers and scored 21 points, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Dallas Wings 81-65 on Sunday to extend their season-opening win streak to nine games.
The Lynx (9-0), who won a WNBA-record 13 consecutive games to open a season in 2016, are off to the fourthbest start in league history. Collier made 10 of 19 from the field, 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and finished with four assists, four steals and three blocks.
McBride hit a deep 3-pointer about 2 1/2 minutes into the game to make it 5-2 and the Lynx led the rest of the way.
Arike Ogunbowale hit six 3-pointers and led Dallas (1-9) with 26 points and Maddy Siegrist scored 15. Rookie
Paige Bueckers (illness) missed her fourth consecutive game. The No. 1 overall selection in April’s draft missed the previous three games due the WNBA’s concussion protocol but was cleared earlier Sunday. Siegrist made a layup with a second left in the third
LEGACY AND LOVE
A Conversation on Wealth, Wills and Community
quarter to cap a 17-4 run that trimmed Dallas’ deficit to 5756 but Collier opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, followed with a mid-range jumper and the Wings got no closer.
Natisha Hiedeman hit a 3 with 2:24 to play that pushed Minnesota’s lead to 77-62.
The Lynx hit 13 pointers, finished with 25 assists on 29 field goals, had 12 steals and committed just six turnovers. The Wings have lost five games in a row.
Discover the power of legacy through real stories, trusted voices, and actionable tools This isn’ t your typical financial talk it ’s a vibrant , culturally rooted experience that brings wealth, wills, and legacy planning to life Through heartfelt conversation and practical insights, we ’ll break down barriers, uplift community wisdom, and spark powerful discussions about family, the future, and how we build
Al McFarlane Host and Board Chair of Greater Twin Cities United Way
Books, Art & Culture
Liam learns to listen
By W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor
By A.J. Briscoe
Recently I attended a conference hosted by the Givens Foundation here in Minneapolis. The theme was “From Resistance to Resilience.” The speakers and workshops were inspiring, and in addition to preserving our legacy as African American and African born authors, poets, and playwrights, another focus was literacy for our children.
It is our responsibility as parents, parental figures, and educators to engage our children in reading, to meet them where they are at and make reading fun and stimulating while enhancing their learning experience. One important aspect is providing books that feature characters who look like them. Another is setting an example for them. And still another is community involvement.
One such author who exemplifies all of the above is A.J. Briscoe, the founder of To Succeed You Must Read. His work in the North Side community is inspiring and appreciated in promoting literacy in the community. That being said, I bring to you another of his children’s books--Liam Learns to Listen.
By Aya Aboelenien
Social media influencers have become cultural powerhouses, setting trends, shaping lifestyles and even swaying political views. As their influence grows, so do ethical debates about them: are they villains exploiting their audiences, victims of an unregulated industry or champions driving positive change?
In our chapter in the recently released book, Influencer Marketing, we synthesized existing literature to explore the ethical minefield of influencer culture and attention economy. We scrutinized the responsibilities of influencers, brands, platforms and consumers, and the broader impact of influencers on society at large.
Influencers as villains Influencers are often cast as villains in the online world. They are frequently criticized for inauthentic behaviour, such as by failing to disclose partnership agreements, perpetuating unrealistic beauty or lifestyle standards or by lying to their audiences outright.
Despite regulations, many influencers hide their paid partnerships. In 2023, for instance, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found that 81 per cent of influencers failed to properly disclose paid partnerships.
Influencers are incentivized to do this because advertising-heavy content can appear inauthentic and be offputting to followers. These
omissions mislead audiences into thinking products and brand reviews are based on genuine opinion, rather than part of a paid script.
Multiple influencers have also been caught lying to their followers about their lifestyles. One notable example is Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who falsely claimed to have cured her terminal cancer through diet.
She gained a massive following and profited from these claims before being exposed and fined US$410,000 for misleading and deceptive conduct.
Despite the controversy, Gibson’s story was adapted by Netflix into a series called Apple Cider Vinegar, further fuelling the moneymaking machine.
Another case is that of Yovana Mendoza, a raw vegan influencer who was filmed eating fish in a Bali restaurant. The video went viral after being leaked by fellow travellers. Despite later revealing that she had stopped being vegan because of health reasons, she still faced backlash and accusations of hypocrisy.
standards
particularly virtual CGI influencers, are also villainized by the masses for perpetuating unrealistic standards and lifestyle choices.
“perfect family” or the “perfect wife” (such as trad wife influencer Hannah Neeleman, also known as Ballerina Farm), to flaunting ultra-thin or perfectly chiselled beauty ideals, influencer content fosters harmful social comparisons.
can build positive body image by controlling what they view on social media contribute to anxiety and low
self-esteem among social media audiences. Influencers prey on these insecurities to make profit and gain influence, which affects the well-being of these audiences.
In the case of male Instagram followers of the hashtag #fitfam, one study found increased pressure to achieve the so-called “instabod” — a sculpted, idealized physique — was linked to symptoms of muscle dysmorphia.
Influencers as champions Despite the controversies surrounding influencer culture, some content creators are leveraging their platforms to do good. Body positivity influencers, for instance, advocate for self-love and self-acceptance, which can improve body satisfaction and appreciation among young women.
One of the best known figures in this space is Ashley Graham, who challenges beauty norms by sharing unedited photos of herself with her 21.4 million Instagram followers. There are also green influencers who champion sustainability. For example, Alessandro Vitale teaches urban
Liam is a young boy who is kind and courteous, but he has a problem with listening to his parents. He doesn’t wear a hat when it’s hot outside. He doesn’t tie his shoelaces before riding his bike. He steals cookies to eat before dinner. As you can imagine, he reaps the consequences of his actions. One day his parents sit him down and explain to him that they made the rules because they love him care about him. Ultimately, Liam learns that by listening and following those rules, his life became easier and success was his.
In addition to the book, Briscoe provides a coloring and activity book as an interactive aid to the story to further engage children in the love of reading. This book and others in his collection are available through his website stompentertainment.com.
Starting on June 16, To Succeed You Must
about important changes in the ageist and sexist fashion and beauty markets. There is also a growing movement known as “deinfluencing,” where influencers discourage mindless consumption by critiquing overhyped products, like the viral Stanley Cup water bottle. Influencers as victims While some influencers might profit from the system, others are victims of business exploitation and malpractices. There are a growing number
white counterparts or are asked to work for free. Stephanie Yeboah, a Black plus-size influencer, told The Guardian she discovered she was paid less than white influencers while working on the same campaign.
Many influencers operate without the backing of talent managers or influencer agencies, despite taking on multiple roles, including cyberbullying. As part of a 2021–22 United Kingdom parliamentary inquiry into influencer culture, blogger Em Sheldon told MPs she faced relentless abuse and threats from online trolls. As the influencer ecosystem expands and its culture evolves, there is increasing pressure for the industry to prioritize ethics
Lucas Giambelluca President, Bank of America Twin Cities
