Mshale

Dozens of Brooklyn Park residents last evening crammed into city council chambers to witness history being made in Minnesota’s sixth largest city, the swearing in of the city's first black council member, Wynfred Russell, who was born and raised in Liberia. Russell, a former instructor at the University of Minnesota, defeated former council member Bob Mata by garnering a convincing...

New enrollments of international students fell by 6.6 percent at American universities in academic year 2017-18 compared to the year before, marking the second straight year in declines in new enrollments, according to new data from the annual Open Doors survey. New enrollments fell 6.3 percent at the undergraduate level, 5.5 percent at the graduate level and 9.7 percent at the nondegree level from...

What Joseph Shabalala started over sixty years ago and Albert Mazibuko joined in 1969 has become for the Twin Cities a perennial experience. Ladysmith Black Mambazo troops on stage at the Dakota March 28th giving us all an opportunity for mindfulness if you’ve seen them before and delightful surprise if you’ve never indulged in their show. Albert Mazibuko spoke with...

Before this week is out, Madison, Chicago, and Atlanta will find themselves plunged into the deep well of music created by Sona Jobarteh and her band. Monday night, the first day of spring, Minneapolis audience at The Dakota welcomed Jobarteh from her Gambian home to the first gig of her North American tour 2023. A ground-breaking virtuosic kora player of...

DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP) — A large group of sheriff’s deputies and employees of a Virginia mental hospital pinned patient Irvo Otieno to the floor earlier this month until he was motionless and limp, then began unsuccessful resuscitation efforts, newly obtained surveillance video shows. The footage obtained Tuesday, which has no audio, shows various members of the group attempting to restrain...

Ghanaian immigrants from all over Minnesota came together in the Twin Cities on Saturday to celebrate 66 years of their home country’s independence. The Ghana Council of Minnesota (GHACOM), a consortium of eight organizations of immigrants from the west African country, hosted the event at the Mounds View Community Center in Mounds View. Attendees listened to speeches, enjoyed entertainment, and...

Brooklyn Park mayor Hollies Winston and Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are the chief guests at this year’s Ghana Independence Day celebration being held on Saturday, March 18 in Mounds View. Ghana Council of Minnesota, a consortium of Minnesota’s Ghanaian organizations, is hosting the event which is held annually to mark Ghana’s independence from European rule on March 6,...

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced Tuesday that Abdirahman Kahin, owner and CEO of Twin Cities-based Afro Deli and Grill, is the federal agency’s Minnesota 2023 Small Business Person of the Year. Afro Deli and Grill is a fast-casual fusion restaurant that offers freshly made African, Mediterranean, and American food in a fast, fun, and friendly environment. In a statement,...

The Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage (CMAH) hosted the 2023 African Heritage Day on the Hill at the Minnesota State Capitol on Monday to highlight its legislative priorities. It was the first time since February 2020 it was being held in person following the pandemic. Almost 200 participants from across the state packed the Capitol’s rotunda for an afternoon...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will spend a week in Africa at the end of March as the United States deepens its outreach to the continent amid global competition, notably with China. “The trip will strengthen the United States’ partnerships throughout Africa and advance our shared efforts on security and economic prosperity,” said a statement from the vice...

A new conference comes to the Twin Cities this weekend to give aspiring and current young entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from those who have been successful owners of businesses. Lyna Nyamwaya, an award-winning registered nurse and founder of The African Nurses Network Inc (TANN), will host the inaugural Entrepreneurship and Leadership Conference, which is scheduled at 5 p.m. on...

For the first time in nearly 20 years, undocumented immigrants in Minnesota will be able to obtain state-issued driver’s licenses. Community leaders and elected officials joined Gov. Tim Walz in the signing of the Driver’s License for All bill on Tuesday. Walz called the bill, which was spearheaded by grassroots Latino organizations and carried into state legislature with the support...

The Somali Museum of Minnesota opened its doors to the public on Sunday for its first-ever “Arts, Culture & Community Celebration.” The event was an opportunity for community members from diverse backgrounds to mingle while sharing aspects of their cultures, including food and entertainment. “We wanted to promote the combined cultural force of the community,” said board member Eric Larsson. In a...