Issue # 745
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BUILDING BROOKLYN PARK City launches new push to bring its Small Business Center out of the shadows and connect more entrepreneurs with resources and opportunity BY TOM GITAA Story on Page 2
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August 24-30,2026
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Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
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August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
Incumbent Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley wins DFL primary for Minnesota House
Momanyi-Hiltsley, one of only two DFL House incumbents seeking reelection this year who drew a primary challenger, defeated former Brooklyn Park City Council member Wynfred Russell in a rematch of their razor-thin 2024 contest. By Tom Gitaa Mshale BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Minnesota state Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley won the DFL nomination for House District 38A, defeating former Brooklyn Park City Council member Wynfred Russell in a rematch of a primary she won by just 50 votes two years ago. Momanyi-Hiltsley received 1,822 votes, or 48.79% of the vote, compared with Russell’s 1,561 votes, or 41.81%, with 100% of precincts reporting Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State. Richard A. Klatte finished third with 351 votes, or 9.40%. The 261-vote victory puts MomanyiHiltsley, a first-term lawmaker who became the first Kenyan-born person elected to a state legislature in the United States in 2024, one step closer to a second term. Momanyi-Hiltsley was one of only two DFL House incumbents seeking reelection this year who drew a primary challenger, making the District 38A contest an unusual intraparty fight for a sitting Democratic lawmaker.
Minnesota state Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley speaks on the House floor at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. Momanyi-Hiltsley won the DFL primary for House District 38A on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, defeating former Brooklyn Park City Council member Wynfred Russell. Photo courtesy of Session Daily/Minnesota House of Representatives
The Tuesday, August 11, election was the second primary battle between MomanyiHiltsley and Russell in two years. The two first faced each other in 2024 after longtime DFL Rep. Mike Nelson retired following 22 years in the Legislature. Neither candidate secured the 60% of delegate votes required for the DFL endorsement at the party convention, sending the decision to primary voters.
who survived an assassination attempt in June 2025 on the same night former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed, also backed Momanyi-Hiltsley. Momanyi-Hiltsley, a data privacy and protection professional, had pointed to her first-term legislative record as she made the case for reelection. When Russell announced his challenge in January, she told Mshale that she would let that record speak for itself.
Momanyi-Hiltsley prevailed by just 50 votes in that contest, receiving 1,005 votes to Russell’s 955. She went on to win the November general election with nearly 65% of the vote, making history as the first Kenyan-born state legislator in the country.
She cited legislation she authored providing $80,000 for Osseo’s sesquicentennial celebration and an $8 million homelessness prevention assistance program, as well as legislation she co-authored strengthening renter protections in Minnesota. She was also the chief author of legislation that provided $400,000 for the Liberian Community Center in Brooklyn Park.
Both candidates substantially increased their vote totals in Tuesday’s rematch. Russell grew his support from 955 votes in 2024 to 1,561 this year, while Momanyi-Hiltsley increased hers from 1,005 to 1,822 and widened her margin of victory from 50 votes to 261.
In a video posted on Facebook shortly after polls closed but before results were known, Momanyi-Hiltsley thanked her campaign supporters and District 38A voters for turning out.
This year, Momanyi-Hiltsley and Russell agreed before the Senate District 38 DFL convention not to seek the party endorsement, saying they wanted to avoid the division within the African immigrant community that accompanied their 2024 endorsement battle. Both instead took their campaigns directly to primary voters. Despite not seeking the local party endorsement, Momanyi-Hiltsley entered Tuesday’s primary with substantial support from organizations and elected officials traditionally aligned with the DFL. Her endorsements included AFSCME Council 5, the Minnesota AFL-CIO and the Minnesota Nurses Association. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison headlined a fundraiser for her campaign, while state Sen. John Hoffman,
“No matter what happens tonight, it has truly been an honor to represent you these last two years, and I pray and hope that I will get that honor to continue working for each and every one of you,” she said. Momanyi-Hiltsley ended the message by telling supporters that “no matter what happens tonight, we are truly stronger together.” House District 38A includes parts of Brooklyn Park and the city of Osseo. In the Republican primary, GOP-endorsed Charlie Kistler easily defeated Yelena S. Kurdyumova, receiving 979 votes, or 90.23%, to Kurdyumova’s 106 votes, or 9.77%. Kistler will face Momanyi-
Hiltsley in the Nov. 3 general election. Russell conceded the race in a statement to Mshale early Wednesday, congratulating Momanyi Hiltsley on her victory. “The voters of House District 38A have spoken. I congratulate Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley on her victory in the DFL primary,” Russell said. Russell said he was proud of the campaign despite falling 261 votes short, pointing to more than 5,000 doors knocked and what he described as countless conversations with residents. “We built a campaign rooted in community, knocked over five thousand doors, had countless conversations, and stood firmly for food access, affordability, health care, public safety, childcare, and opportunity for all,” he said.
Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
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August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
Guest Commentary by Rev. Peter Johnson
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There’s a Storm Coming I grew up in Plaquemine, Louisiana, where the older folks could tell you it was going to rain before there was a cloud in the sky. As a little boy, I would hear one of them say, “A storm is coming.” I would run outside, look up at a bright blue sky, and come back convinced they were wrong. “There’s not a cloud out there,” I would say. They would smile and answer, “Baby, you haven’t lived long enough yet.” Before the day was over, the wind would shift. The air would get heavy. Dark clouds would gather, and the rain would come pouring down. Back then, I thought they had some kind of magic. Now I understand. They had experience. They had survived enough storms to recognize the signs before anyone else could. Well, I am one of the older people now, and I feel a storm coming. It is gathering around something called election integrity. Let me be clear. I believe elections should be secure. Every lawful vote should be protected, every voting system should be trustworthy, and every American should have confidence in the process. But Black folks have heard the language of “election integrity” before. We have heard words like “order,” “protection,” and “security” used to justify poll taxes, literacy tests, intimidation, and exclusion. We know that sometimes the words sound reasonable while the results fall hardest on our communities. That is why we must pay attention not only to what is being said, but to what is being done. President Donald Trump says he wants stronger election security. But at the same time, his administration has taken actions that critics say weaken independent election oversight, reduce confidence in federal election institutions and place greater pressure on the systems that help protect fair elections. That contradiction should trouble us. You cannot claim to strengthen the roof while removing the beams that hold it up. The bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission was created after the disputed 2000 presidential election to help states improve election administration, certify voting systems and assist local officials. When the leadership of such an agency is weakened, every citizen should ask whether public confidence is being protected or endangered. Black Americans, especially, cannot afford to be casual about that question. Our people did not stumble into the voting booth. We marched there. We prayed there. We bled there. We buried people on the road there. I remember men and women standing in courthouse lines knowing they could lose
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their jobs, be threatened, humiliated, or turned away. Some dressed in their Sunday clothes because they believed registering to vote was sacred work. They were not only fighting for the right to cast a ballot. They were fighting for the right to trust that the ballot would count. That trust is fragile. Once people lose faith in elections, every defeat becomes fraud, every victory becomes suspicious, and every political opponent becomes an enemy. Democracy cannot survive long under those conditions. As a minister, I learned that accountability strengthens trust. Pastors should not count the offering alone. Finance committees review the books. Trustees examine expenditures. Auditors ask hard questions. That does not weaken the church. It protects the church. The same is true for elections. Independent oversight is not the enemy of election integrity. It is part of election integrity. Black voters should also be cautious when politicians raise fears about widespread voter fraud without producing evidence that matches the alarm. History tells us that imaginary threats have often been used to create very real barriers. We have seen laws presented as neutral that made it harder for elderly people, students, working families and communities of color to vote. That is why this moment requires wisdom, not panic. We should register. We should verify our registration. We should learn the laws. We should vote early when possible. We should help our elders reach the polls. We should watch local election boards, state legislatures, and federal agencies. Most of all, we should refuse to surrender our trust blindly to any politician or political party. The old folks in Plaquemine taught me to pay attention before the rain started. They noticed the wind. They felt the pressure change. They recognized what others ignored. I hope I am wrong about this storm. I pray that our elections remain free, fair and trusted. But I have lived long enough to know that rights can be weakened while people are distracted, and institutions can be damaged while leaders insist they are being protected. Black America must not be caught without an umbrella. Our ancestors paid too much for the ballot. Our children have too much at stake. This is the hour to stay awake, stay informed, stay organized, and keep voting. The clouds may not be visible yet. But the wind is already changing. There’s a storm coming.
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August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
The reverse great migration is the biggest Black relocation in decades By Stephanie Heron
The reverse Great Migration is the influx of Black Americans moving back to the South from Northern, Midwestern, and Western states. It’s happening because Southern economies are appealing and the cost of living is lower. According to the Pew Research Center, the USA’s Black population has grown from 36.2 million in 2000 to 49.2 million in 2024. What’s interesting is that the numbers have increased fastest in states that historically have not had many Black residents. What is the reverse migration of African Americans? The reverse Great Migration is the ongoing movement of many Black Americans from Northern, Midwestern, and Western states back to the South. This started in the late 20th century and is continuing today. Black Americans moved during the Great Migration because they wanted to escape segregation and find industrial work, but today’s movement is for different reasons. It reflects a broader mix of economic, social, and cultural factors. Many people are relocating to metropolitan areas with expanding industries, diverse employment opportunities, and growing Black middleclass communities. This trend is a demographic shift that’s reshaping where Black Americans live, work, and build wealth, while also influencing political representation, housing markets, and regional economic growth. Why is reverse migration happening? Black Americans are moving to the South because of several factors. The first is that many Northern and Midwestern cities experienced manufacturing declines and slower job growth after the late 29th century, while Southern metropolitan areas attracted businesses in healthcare, technology, logistics, finance, and professional services. Housing affordability has also played an important role, with many Southern cities offering lower home prices and living costs than places like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Many people take advantage of a nationwide moving network as part of their relocation planning to cut down on costs and save up for their dream homes in the South. Other factors that further influence relocation decisions include: • Climate preferences • Retirement • Opportunity to live closer to extended family Improved civil rights protections compared with the early 20th century have also made many Southern communities more attractive than they were during the original Great Migration. How reverse migration is changing southern communities The return of Black Americans has contributed to significant changes across many Southern cities and suburbs. Growing populations have supported the expansion of Black-owned businesses,
The Black population in the United States has increased fastest in states that historically have not had many Black residents.
as well as professional organizations, cultural institutions, and civic leadership.
making affordability a continuing challenge for many new residents.
Many metropolitan areas have seen increased demand for housing, schools, and public infrastructure as populations grow. Reverse migration has also strengthened political influence in some regions, and this affects local elections and community advocacy.
Where are Black people moving to?
At the same time, rapid growth has introduced new challenges. They include: • Rising housing costs • Suburban expansion • Concerns about displacement in some neighborhoods The trend demonstrates that migration isn’t simply about changing addresses; it also shapes local economies, cultural life, entrepreneurship, and long-term community development. How reverse migration is influencing Black wealth and homeownership One of the less-discussed effects of reverse migration is its connection to wealth building and homeownership. Several Southern metropolitan areas have historically offered lower entry prices for housing than major Northern coastal cities, and this allows some families to purchase homes earlier or buy larger properties. For households moving from highcost regions, selling a home or relocating with accumulated savings can provide additional financial flexibility. This has contributed to a growth in Black homeownership in certain Southern suburbs and emerging metropolitan corridors. This may also support intergenerational wealth transfer, as property ownership can create assets that are passed to children and grandchildren. The outcome isn’t uniform everywhere, though. Rising demand in some fast-growing cities has led to increasing home prices,
Many Black Americans are migrating to: • Atlanta • Houston • Dallas • Charlotte • Raleigh • Nashville • Orlando • Washington, DC This is because there are expanding job markets, as well as relatively lower housing costs than in several coastal cities. Plus, there are growing Black professional communities in these areas. Some people are also moving to suburban areas rather than traditional urban neighborhoods since they’re looking for larger homes, better schools, or more affordable living. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) How many Black people moved during the great migration? According to the National Archives, around 6 million Black people moved from the American South to Northern, Midwestern, and Western states during the Great Migration, which was between 1910 and 1970. The first wave happened between 1910 and 1940, and around 1.6 million people relocated. The second wave occurred between 1940 and 1970, and roughly 5 million more people moved. Major destinations included: • Chicago • Detroit • New York • Philadelphia • Cleveland • Los Angeles • Oakland This migration reshaped the demographic, economic, and
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political landscape of the US. Why did African Americans move to the north? African Americans moved to the North during the Great Migration for a combination of economic opportunity and personal safety. Northern factories needed workers, especially during WWI and WWII, and many employers actively recruited Southern Black laborers. Many families also wanted to escape Jim Crow segregation, as well as racial violence, voter suppression, and limited educational opportunities. In addition, moving north offered the possibility of: • Better wages • Greater political participation • Access to expanding urban communities Why did so many Black people stay in the south? Family ties were one of the strongest reasons why so many Black people stayed in the South. Many people chose to stay close to relatives, community networks, churches, and land that had been in their families for generations. Some Black farmers and business owners had established livelihoods they didn’t want to abandon, while others lacked the financial resources needed to relocate. Over time, legal segregation ended, educational opportunities expanded, and Southern cities developed stronger communities. This made remaining in the region a more attractive option. Reverse great migration Is driving Black Americans back to familiar places A reverse great migration is happening, and it’s creating some major shifts in many areas. Not only is it changing demographics, but it’s also shaping new political and economic trends.
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August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
Federal judge clears way for Trump administration to end TPS for Somalis be deported. Some may have another immigration status or separate applications for relief that allow them to remain in the country. But those whose only protection against removal came through TPS no longer have that protection.
By Mshale Staff A federal judge has cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somalia, ending deportation protections for nearly 1,100 Somali nationals across the United States, as federal immigration data show enforcement against Somalis had already increased sharply before the court action.
The ruling could have particular significance in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali population in the United States. ICE removals had already increased
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston on Friday lifted an administrative stay that had temporarily prevented the Department of Homeland Security from ending Somalia’s TPS designation. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says the termination became effective Aug. 14.
The termination comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data show immigration enforcement against Somali nationals had already increased sharply before TPS protections were lifted.
Temporary Protected Status allows eligible nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions to remain and work legally in the United States for limited periods. Somalia was first designated for TPS in 1991 amid civil war and has remained covered through a series of extensions and redesignations for nearly 35 years. The termination affects a relatively small share of the Somali population living in the United States. Reuters reported that nearly 1,100 Somalis held TPS when the court allowed the termination to proceed. Many other Somali immigrants are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees, asylees or hold other immigration statuses and are not affected by the termination. Losing TPS also does not automatically mean that every former beneficiary will
During the first six months of fiscal year 2026, from Oct. 1, 2025, through March 31, ICE recorded 221 administrative arrests of Somali nationals, 237 detention book-ins and 133 removals, according to agency detention statistics published in July. The 133 removals during the six-month period were already more than twice the 63 Somali nationals ICE reported removing during the entire 2024 fiscal year. ICE also reported 82 detention book-ins involving Somali nationals during all of fiscal 2024, compared with 237 during the first half of fiscal 2026. Administrative arrests increased from 68 during fiscal 2024 to 221 during the first six months of fiscal 2026. The figures are nationwide and do not show how many of those arrested, detained or removed lived in Minnesota. They also
cover Somali nationals generally and do not identify how many, if any, were TPS holders. Court challenge continues The court ruling does not end the legal challenge to the administration’s decision. African Communities Together, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans and Somali TPS holders sued the administration earlier this year, arguing that the termination was improperly motivated by discrimination based on race and national origin. The plaintiffs later amended their complaint to add due process claims and challenge whether the government official who terminated Somalia’s designation had the legal authority to do so. Burroughs had previously blocked the termination while the case proceeded. But the judge lifted that stay Friday following a June U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited lower courts’ ability to review DHS decisions terminating TPS designations. The Somalia action is part of a broader Trump administration effort to dismantle TPS protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries around the world. The administration has moved to terminate TPS for every country whose designation has come up for review since President Donald Trump returned to office, although court challenges have delayed some terminations. Court filings in one of the TPS cases show that 13 countries had come up for periodic
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review since Trump returned to office and the administration moved to terminate the designation for all 13, including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Other TPS designations remain in effect for now, including protections covering nationals of El Salvador, Sudan and Ukraine. The administration has argued that TPS was intended to provide temporary rather than permanent immigration protection and that conditions in countries whose designations it has terminated no longer justify continuing the program. Immigrant-rights groups have challenged the administration’s decisions in federal courts, arguing in several cases that conditions remain dangerous and that the terminations were unlawful or discriminatory. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, another federal judge in Boston cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate TPS for more than 5,000 Ethiopians. The ruling came after the same Supreme Court decision that affected the Somalia case. Somalia continues to face armed conflict and attacks by al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant organization that has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for nearly two decades. For Somali TPS holders, however, USCIS now lists the country’s designation as terminated effective Aug. 14.
Who adopted who? Adopt a teen. You can’t imagine the reward.
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Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
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Brooklyn Park launches initiative to bring small business center out of the shadows BUILD in Brooklyn Park aims to raise the profile of the taxpayer-supported center and connect more entrepreneurs with resources as officials report record occupancy and revenue growth. By Tom Gitaa Mshale
He said city officials heard stories of people traveling from communities west of Brooklyn Park, driving through the city on their way to coworking spaces in south Minneapolis. When operators of those facilities asked why they weren't using the Brooklyn Park center instead, Gladhill said the response was often: “What is the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center?”
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — For years, technology entrepreneur Cindy Hill has described the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center as a “hidden secret” — a place that impresses people once they walk through its doors but remains unknown to many of the entrepreneurs it was created to serve. “I've been telling people for a long time, we have this hidden secret in Brooklyn Park,” Hill told Mshale on Thursday. “And we just need to start sharing it.”
“We aim to really change that,” he said. The 25,000-square-foot center occupies part of Northwinds Plaza, which the city purchased in 2021. It offers coworking desks, offices, conference and training rooms, wellness space and retail suites where entrepreneurs can test brick-and-mortar businesses.
The City of Brooklyn Park is now trying to do just that. City officials on Thursday, Aug. 20., formally launched BUILD in Brooklyn Park, a new partnership with the Small Business Center aimed at raising its visibility and making it easier for entrepreneurs to find technical assistance, capital, business education, mentorship, networking and other resources. The initiative comes as the taxpayersupported center, which opened in 2023 at 7970 Brooklyn Blvd., seeks to increase occupancy and revenue after a bumpy start that has required continued financial support from the city.
Brooklyn Park Community Development Director Tim Gladhill speaks during the launch of BUILD in Brooklyn Park at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Gladhill said the initiative grew out of the city’s realization that the center remained largely unknown within the community. Photo by Tom Gitaa/Mshale
Community Development Director Tim Gladhill said Thursday that the idea for BUILD grew directly from the realization that many people simply did not know the Small Business Center existed.
“This actually started as a realization that this space that we're in right now, the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center, was really unknown in our own community,” Gladhill said.
In April, the center had about 118 members and was roughly half occupied, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. The city was covering an annual funding gap of about $100,000 to $200,000, and officials said they wanted to raise occupancy to at least 80% and eventually make the center self-sustaining. The city spent about $4.5 million building out the
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BUILD
August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
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center using grants, tax-increment financing revenue, $1 million in federal funding and other city dollars. Gladhill did not provide updated occupancy or revenue figures Thursday, but said the center has made progress even before the formal launch of BUILD. “We are already at an all-time high for occupancy and revenue growth in this center,” he said. Gladhill also acknowledged the public investment required to operate the center, saying the city is using public dollars to support its operations and buildout even though running such a facility is not traditionally considered a core municipal service. But he said city officials view the investment as important to Brooklyn Park's residents, businesses and tax base. The city said it will invest in staffing and other support for the Small Business Center as part of the new BUILD partnership.
‘Once I came through the doors’ For Hill, who has lived in Brooklyn Park for 37 years, the center's potential was apparent before it opened. Hill said she knew about the project from its inception and attended the center's grand opening intending only to purchase a basic membership. Seeing the facility changed her mind. “Once I came through the doors,
Minnesota Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley, left, talks with technology entrepreneur Cindy Hill during the launch of BUILD in Brooklyn Park at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Hill, who operates PSI Tech Support from the center, describes the facility as a “hidden secret” that more entrepreneurs need to discover. Photo by Tom Gitaa/Mshale
I said, I need to move one of my businesses in here,” she said.
that develops customized systems for state and federal government clients.
Hill moved PSI Tech Support, a five-year-old technology company she founded and majority owns, into the center. She and her husband also founded Programming Solutions 37 years ago, a technology company
Hill said decades of running businesses made her want to use her presence at the center to help entrepreneurs just starting out.
to give back to the people that were just starting out from the bottom,” she said. That has included advising
“I knew that I had something
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August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
other entrepreneurs on business plans, forecasting, certifications, insurance, licensing and marketing. Hill recalled helping a woman who operated a tea business a few offices away and sought her advice about marketing and online sales. Within about six or seven months, Hill said, the entrepreneur had gotten her products into her first grocery store. “It helps when you see people that look like us, especially a Black woman that has been in business so long, to let them know, don't give up on it,” Hill said. She said people she brings to the center are often surprised by how much exists beyond the lobby and training area. “Once you bring them on the other side of the wall, that's when their eyes light up,” Hill said. “I didn't know that this was here. Tell me more.”
A newcomer finds visibility For Jannie Seibure, the Small Business Center's appeal is much newer. Seiburie, who is originally from Liberia, moved her business, Cavala Travel and Tour, from Brooklyn Center to the Small Business Center about a month ago. The travel agency provides travel services and sells luggage and other travel-related products. Seibure said the Brooklyn Park location has given the business something particularly important to a small company: visibility.
Jannie Seibure, owner of Cavala Travel and Tour, hands out business cards during the BUILD in Brooklyn Park launch at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Seibure moved her travel agency from Brooklyn Center to the center last month and says the location and interaction with other businesses have increased her visibility. Photo by Tom Gitaa/Mshale
“I see it as a networking collaboration of businesses that are in here,” she said. “So my business becomes more visible to all the clients that come in to meet their businesses.” She said she is also discovering resources available to small businesses through the city.
half of the question,” Hiltsley said during Thursday's launch. “Because if somebody doesn't know that those resources exist, they won't even tap into those resources.” Hiltsley, whose district includes the Small Business Center, said entrepreneurs need trusted community leaders who can tell residents that
succeed, Brooklyn Park succeeds’ Mayor Hollies Winston said the initiative is built around what he called a simple idea: “When our entrepreneurs succeed, Brooklyn Park succeeds.” Starting and growing a business, Winston said, requires entrepreneurs to navigate financing, permitting, marketing, technology, workforce issues and finding customers. “Through this partnership between the City of Brooklyn Park and the Small Business Center, we are working to bring resources, connections, technical assistance and opportunities closer to the entrepreneurs who need them,” Winston said. He said strengthening small businesses is also part of the city's effort to address economic disparities and position local entrepreneurs to benefit from future development, including Brooklyn Park's planned BioTech Innovation District. The city expects that development to bring thousands of jobs and significant construction activity, and Winston said Brooklyn Park needs a foundation of local businesses capable of participating in those opportunities and bringing the benefits back into the community. Winston acknowledged that establishing the Small Business Center and other new economic-development efforts has not always been smooth.
Brooklyn Park Councilmember Christian Eriksen, from left, City Manager Jay Stroebel, LS2group partner Corey Day and Mayor Hollies Winston talk during the launch of BUILD in Brooklyn Park at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026 Photo by Tom Gitaa/Mshale
“It's a strategic area,” she said. “As you can see, it's highly populated and it draws traffic.” Seibure said being surrounded by other entrepreneurs also exposes her business to people coming into the center to visit other companies.
“I'm loving it so far,” Seibure said. That type of awareness is precisely what state Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said the new initiative needs to create. “Bringing resources home is only
the center is a place where they belong and where their voices matter. She said BUILD could strengthen connections among entrepreneurs, community organizations, government, nonprofits and the private sector.
‘When our entrepreneurs
“I know it's been a little bit of a road and sometimes it's bumpy,” he said. But he said the ultimate measure of BUILD will not be how many programs the city offers. It will be “the businesses we help grow, the jobs we help create and the opportunities we help open for the people who call Brooklyn Park home.”
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Religion
August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
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Cardinal Brislin joins African clergy in calling Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide By Claire Giangravè Religion News Service VATICAN CITY (RNS) – Ten Catholic clergy from Africa, including Cardinal Stephen Brislin of South Africa, issued a statement Friday (Aug. 21) describing the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza as genocide, drawing on their continent’s experience of war and apartheid. “We believe that the policies and actions of the Government of Israel in Gaza consti-
Against Genocide, a network of Catholic priests, bishops and cardinals advocating for Palestinian rights. The organization was founded in 2025 and says it represents over 2,500 members across 67 countries. On Sunday, Pope Leo made an appeal for peace and called for a two-state solution that would respect the national integrity of Israel and Palestine. But the pontiff has stopped short of declaring Israeli actions in Gaza a genocide.
In their statement, the African clergy said they “cannot condemn apartheid in our history and refuse to recognise these patterns inflicted upon Palestinians.” The statement, directly addressed to the government of Israel, also rejected “antisemitism and Islamophobia alike” and condemned the “grave crimes” committed by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, that resulted in the death of about 1,200 people in Israel and the abduction of some 250 hostages.
that risk violating international law. And they called on Christian groups to scrutinize their investments for ties to human rights violations. Finally, they demanded humanitarian, medical and trauma-healing support for those who were harmed in the conflict and called for the creation of a dignified and safe future for Palestinians and Israelis alike. The African clergy stated that their “continent knows war,” not only in its past, but also through the ongoing conflicts in
Bodies of members of the Hassayna and Abu Sharia families, killed in an Israeli strike in 2023 and recently recovered from the rubble, are draped in Palestinian flags during their funeral in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP
tute genocide,” the statement read, citing arguments by international legal scholars and genocide experts. “Having learned to
Brislin, among the signatories of the statement, is the Archbishop of Johannesburg in South Africa and was appointed last year by Pope Leo as a member of the Vatican department overseeing clergy. The pope also gave Breslin a prominent advisory role in the June consistory, a summit of cardinals. South Africa — which enforced racial segregation and white minority rule, called apartheid, between 1948 and 1994 — has a long history of Palestinian advocacy. Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became the country’s first Black president, declared in 1997 that “our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Cardinal Stephen Brislin. Photo: Courtesy Archdiocese of Johannesburg
recognise dehumanisation in our own history, we cannot refuse to recognise it in another people.” The statement was issued by Priests
In December 2023, South Africa brought a case before the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in its war in Gaza. South Africa argued that Israel’s conduct unfolded “against a background of apartheid” and an “institutionalized regime of discriminatory laws, policies and practices” toward Palestinians. The case is still pending with the ICJ.
“Their crimes do not diminish Israel’s obligations under international law, nor justify genocide or collective punishment. We will not answer one dehumanisation with another,” the statement added.
Sudan and South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sahel and northern Mozambique. They issued the same demands for peace and justice to African governments.
Israel has not issued a response to the clergy’s statement but has denied past genocide allegations, stating that its war is against Hamas and not Palestinians.
“A particularly horrifying feature of this genocide is that, for the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s population, there has been no reliable route to safe refuge — only repeated displacement within a closed territory, from one unsafe place to another,” the statement read. “To order people to flee when there is no safe place to flee to is not protection.”
Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after the Oct 7. attack. Since then, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, including at least 21,000 children. A ceasefire took effect on October of last year, but Israeli strikes and gunfire have continued, killing more than 1,200 Palestinians since the agreement. Tensions have also intensified in the occupied West Bank as attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have increased. Friday’s statement called for Israel to put an immediate end to “genocidal policies” and forced displacement and to cooperate with international judicial systems. The signatories also asked that Israel suspend weapons and technologies
The document drew from the sacred African tradition of Ubuntu, which emphasizes interconnectedness and shared responsibility, as well as sacred Scripture and Vatican pronouncements to make its case. “Our answer cannot be silence. Our answer cannot be hatred. Our answer must be truth, justice, mercy — and a true peace which is never merely the absence of fighting,” the statement read.
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Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
www.mshale.com
August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
Art & Entertainment Who gets to access African cultural memory? By Furaha Ruguru Afropop
It’s a cozy Thursday evening in Nairobi, and important conversations are about to begin. I ask my sound engineer, “Are you ready to record?” She signals yes. Deep breath in. Hold the mic close.
to access African cultural memory?
“Welcome to Hadithi Hangout Chapter. . . . ”
Kenyan sound artist KMRU explored this question in his 2023 album Temporary Stored. Blending sound synthesizers, field recordings, and archival recordings from the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium, the project liberates these stolen sounds from the colonial archive.
This is just one of the many conversations recorded and archived across Africa every single week. But why do we do it? Every single day, African creatives produce live performances, radio shows, DJ mixes, panel discussions and cultural conversations. But
Today, African creatives and organizations are increasingly taking music preservation into their own hands. Empowered with digital technology, recording equipment and online platforms, they are documenting traditional music, digitizing historical recordings, and
by legendary artists such as Franco Luambo, Tabu Ley Rochereau and Daudi Kabaka. These recordings are now available through streaming and download platforms. For many music listeners, Tamasha’s YouTube channel has become a nostalgic bridge into the world of classic East African music, also known as zilizopendwa. This is music which might have otherwise disappeared into storage rooms and deteriorating master tapes. A similar urgency, if a different approach, shapes Singing Wells. In 2011, cultural practitioners Tabu Osusa of Ketebul Music and Jimmy Allen of the UK’s Abubilla Music bonded over one common
Them Mushrooms perform during a live recording at the Santuri Salon in Nairobi, one of several cultural spaces documenting and archiving contemporary East African music and conversations for public access. Source: Santuri East Africa
where do these moments go after all is said and done? Our continent has a long tradition of preserving and sharing knowledge through oral literature— songs, proverbs, and legends. During the colonial era, foreign researchers, institutions and labels recorded African musical heritage and took them away. Today, many of these sound recordings remain caged in museums abroad or locked behind academic paywalls, accessible only to researchers and those who can afford them. To access the 14,000 recordings held by the African Music Archive, for example, you still need to travel to Mainz, Germany. Meanwhile, the International Library of African Music (ILAM), founded in South Africa in 1954 by ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey, has only recently begun digitizing parts of its vast collection and making them available online. The question remains: who gets
creating new archives that are finally accessible to African audiences. Why does accessibility matter? Because preservation without access is still exclusion. Accessible archives help us reclaim culture, challenge colonial interpretations and ensure African artists are the ones telling their own stories. Here are four music archives in Kenya doing exactly that. Based at The Mall in Westlands, Nairobi, Tamasha Records is one of East Africa’s most important custodians of recorded African music history. The company was established in the early 1990s, after Polygram East Africa exited the region, leaving behind one of the largest recorded music catalogs in East Africa. The collection contains more than 10,000 recordings from artists active between the 1950s and 1980s. Tamasha has spent decades digitizing vinyl and CD recordings
concern—traditional East African music was disappearing as older musicians passed away and younger generations gravitated toward global popular culture. This is how they founded the Singing Wells project, got their teams in a van and traveled across East Africa recording musicians in their own communities rather than bringing them into urban studios. 15 years later, Singing Wells has become the world’s largest open archive of traditional East African music. Its online collection contains hundreds of recordings documenting music and dance traditions from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Beyond music, Singing Wells also publishes musician biographies, field reports and instrument documentation on their website, making it an invaluable resource for researchers, educators and artists alike, who are seeking to reconnect and gain inspiration from their cultural roots.
Founded in 2013 by David Tinning and Gregg Tendwa, Santuri East Africa has become a leader in music education and artist development. While Tamasha preserves historical recordings and Singing Wells documents traditional music, Santuri archives the present. Through Santuri Salon at The Mall, the community space hosts panel discussions, listening sessions, and artist talks focused on music, culture, and technology. Many of these conversations are recorded and uploaded online, creating a living archive of contemporary East African culture. One such archive is Hadithi Hangout, a monthly reading group exploring Kenya’s political and musical histories. Listeners can revisit conscious conversations on everything from the impact of colonialism on contemporary music to the evolution of Kenyan music across the generations. For future researchers looking to understand East Africa’s creative landscape in the 2020s, these recordings may be just as valuable as historical music collections. The fourth is Calotropis Radio, which flips the model: if traditional archives collect history after it happens, this community radio station records it as it unfolds. Founded in Nairobi and also based at The Mall, Calotropis describes itself as a dealer in sound, music and poetry. When they are not playing eclectic music selections on their website, they live-stream and archive DJ sets, and cultural events. Since 2025, they have partnered with Kilele Summit, Santuri’s annual festival for adventurous music and technology, streaming panel discussions and artist workshops to audiences far beyond Nairobi. These African archives remind us that the power to tell and preserve our own stories is now in our hands. Preserving African culture does not look one way: It can mean digitizing old records, documenting traditional musicians in remote villages, recording community discussions or live-streaming experimental performances to audiences around the world. What matters is that these stories remain available. Accessible archives allow culture to be studied, and they help future generations understand who we were, what we created and valued. Ultimately, preserving culture begins with something as simple as holding a microphone close and pressing record. Adapted from From colonial storage to open access. (Africa Is a Country)
Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
www.mshale.com
August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745 11
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New name – same great service Mshale - The African Community Newspaper
www.mshale.com
August 24-30, 2026 Issue 745
MINNESOTA AGING PATHWAYS, formerly the Senior LinkAge Line, helps older adults and caregivers connect to local services and supports, such as: • Housing resources • Health insurance and Medicare • Financial assistance • Long-term care planning • Services in your community • Help at home Whether you need to plan for the future or solve a problem today, Minnesota Aging Pathways can help.
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