U. S. Rep Ilhan Omar at the Veterans Service building in St. Paul, Minn. on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 as she filed to run for reelection in the August 13, 2024 Democratic primary. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
U. S. Rep Ilhan Omar at the Veterans Service building in St. Paul, Minn. on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 as she filed to run for reelection in the August 13, 2024 Democratic primary. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Representing Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District has been the honor of my life. As a little girl huddled in a refugee camp, displaced by a civil war that tore my birth country of Somalia apart, I just wanted to survive. I could have never imagined that I would have the privilege of representing the community that welcomed me with open arms; it is truly beyond my wildest dreams.
Over the last five years serving you in Congress, we have changed the arc of what is possible. I campaigned for transformative, bold change that our community could feel. And we have been successful in that mission. Just a few years ago, I was one of the lone voices calling for student debt cancellation, universal school meals, and the Green New Deal.
To date, President Joe Biden has canceled nearly 146 billion dollars in student loan debt for 4.75 million borrowers and an additional 30 million people are in the pipeline to get their debt canceled. At town halls and community events, I have countless Minnesotans come up to me and share how student debt cancellation has changed their lives. They tell me that now they can open that business they always dreamed of or finally start their family or pursue their dream of homeownership.
We also passed my bill, the MEALS Act during the pandemic that fed nearly 30 million children across the country during the pandemic. Now because of the success of that program, Minnesota became the fourth state to pass legislation to provide universal school meals. I am incredibly proud that Governor Tim Walz signed this bill into law to ensure no student across our state will go hungry.
To combat the climate crisis, I am proud to have played a leadership role in passing the most ambitious climate bill ever with the Inflation Reduction Act. Over the next decade, this bill will reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent, create 10,000 new green jobs every year, and invest $60 billion into communities disproportionately hurt by climate change. They told us these ideas were too unrealistic, naive, and outside the realm of what was politically possible. But we made the impossible possible.
We didn’t back down on fighting for the values of the Fifth District. Values like standing up for working and middle-class Minnesotans and taking on corporate greed. Values like fighting for a more just and peaceful world. Values like making sure every single Minnesotan can thrive, regardless of who they love, how they pray, the color of their skin, or their political views. And values like rejecting corporate PAC money.
Our society was not built for most people to succeed – it was designed to allow the rich to get richer and the powerful to maintain their power. That’s why I reject lobbyists’ money and corporate PAC money. Because I don’t work for corporations or special interest groups but for you. I am one of the few Members of Congress who acts as an independent voice because I am not beholden to lobbyists and special interest groups. When I cast a vote in Congress, every decision I make is deeply rooted in the needs of our community.
And we don’t just lead with our values, we lead with co-governance at the forefront. Together, we held nearly one hundred town halls and roundtables across every corner of the Fifth District. We delivered over 54 million dollars back home through community-centered projects to address affordable housing, climate resiliency, food access, workforce development, and healthcare investments. We also helped over four thousand constituents with casework on issues such as social security, immigration, veterans’ benefits, and taxes—even gaining national recognition for our success in serving our district.
Every single day our team has used this seat to improve the lives of residents across the Fifth District. We never forgot our mandate to bring the hopes and dreams of every resident to the People’s House.
Now our progress is at stake. Donald Trump is the Republican nominee and tied with President Biden in the polls here in Minnesota. If he wins that means abortion will be criminalized. It means another Muslim ban. It means tax loopholes for billionaires. It is a direct threat to our democracy.
To combat this, we need record voter turnout in the Fifth District like we have never seen. And that starts with winning the primary on August 13th. Early voting has begun. I promise to always have your back, and I look forward to earning your vote.
4-year-old Dakota gets a henna tattoo from Halima at the Soul of the Southside Juneteenth Festival in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
4-year-old Dakota gets a henna tattoo from Halima at the Soul of the Southside Juneteenth Festival in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
In celebration of Juneteenth, thousands gathered on Minnehaha Avenue and Lake Street for the Soul of the Southside Festival. The goal of the festival was to create space centered around Blackness, kinship, and community, according to the Black-owned creative hub, The Legacy Building. The event brought south Minneapolis into the limelight by exhibiting its Black creativity, entrepreneurship, togetherness, and persistence.
The festival was a collaboration between various businesses based in south Minneapolis. Hook and Ladder Theater, Moon Palace Books, Arbeiter Brewing and the historic Coliseum building hosted events throughout the day, boasting a bit of everything from live music and a film screening to an art exhibition and children’s face painting. The event also spotlighted radio stations KRSM and KFAI, who both highlighted classics through local deejays.
Juneteenth is an annual holiday recognizing the end of slavery in the United States. Although President Abraham Lincoln made the Jan. 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which ended centuries of enslavement of Black people in the Confederate southern states, it wasn’t until two years later, on June 19, 1965, that the last enslaved people were freed. Juneteenth marks the day Major Gen. Gordan Granger marched into Galveston, Texas, with 2,000 soldiers and announced that all slaves were free through General Order No. 3.
The following year, a group of formerly enslaved people celebrated the decree on the first anniversary. Since then, Juneteenth has gained more significance. In 2021, it became a federally-recognized holiday.
A section of the thousands that convened at Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue for the annual Soul of the Southside Juneteenth Festival on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
The celebrations included the official reopening of the Coliseum, the iconic building on Lake Street, which was damaged by fire during the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery had an expansive display on the 1st floor of the building, recalling the struggle for Black liberation in Minnesota from the 19th century up until the 1960s. On the 2nd Floor, attendees were encouraged to view their bodies and cultural knowledge as a tool to dismantle systemic racism through various events like a drum circle and a body reclamation session.
“The first thing that people who want to colonize you gotta do is control your food source,” said Chef Lachelle Cunningham, who led a class about ancestral food waves. “If we want to be free, then we have to have control over our food, so that has to do with where our food comes from, knowing that, having some control over that, growing our food [and] sourcing it. A lot of our culture is in our food and how we do things, and so if we lose connection to that culture, a lot of times we lose connection to our food and the importance of that and what is good for our bodies.”
Chef Lachelle Cunningham leads a class on healthy cooking and ancestral food waves inside the historic Coliseum Building during the Soul of the Southside Juneteenth Festival in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
A section of the 1st floor paid homage to victims of police brutality, featuring spray painted portraits of Floyd and Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old shot and killed by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio.
“Nobody can ever shut us down,” said LaToya White, a vendor and the owner of Angels Delightful Creations. “We [are] ten toes down. We’re not going to let one thing impact us and let anyone take from us because we’ve been taking from our entire lives, our ancestors and everything. So this is time for us to rise up. Having it at this location [lets] them know that we are here and we’re here to stay.”
A block away from the Coliseum, food trucks lined the barricaded stretch of Minnehaha Avenue. Several lines of over 50 people waited for samosas, tacos and smoked meats. As old friends hugged and convened along the bustling road, jazzy melodies played through a street performer’s saxophone.
Kevin Washington and Ra Spirit perform at the Hook and Ladder outdoor stage during the Soul of the Southside Juneteenth Festival in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
The Hook and Ladder, in partnership with Black Music America, had live performances throughout the day. A younger crowd filled the outdoor Black Music America stage space to hear performances from Twin Cities-based artists like sibling band NUNNABOVE. Audience members could head inside the lushly decorated building to get drinks from the bar or check out the Legacy Stage to see other acts.
For a quieter and more serene environment, attendees could head to Moon Palace Books, an independent bookstore that held storytelling for children earlier in the day and later featured a film screening of “One Million Experiments”, which explores the possibility of a safe society without police or a prison system. In the bookstore parking lot, Black-owned business vendors sold pastries, dashikis, tarot decks, plants and more.
LaToya White of Angels Delightful Creations at the Soul of the Southside Juneteenth Festival in Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
Next door, Arbeiter Brewing hosted an all-day beer garden, with an art fair featuring local visual artists — some actively working on pieces through the fair.
“We have to keep the story alive,” said Cunningham. “I think there’s an opportunity to continue to keep the historical story alive, but also for people to continue to tell their stories through these types of events and opportunities and show resilience. I think it’s really about the resilience of our people, from our enslaved ancestors to those who came after the civil rights movement to those who are still fighting in the civil rights movement; it’s connecting those future generations.”
Brooklyn Park youth march in the city’s Juneteenth parade on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Photo: Kwot Anwey/Mshale
Brooklyn Park youth march in the city’s Juneteenth parade on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Photo: Kwot Anwey/Mshale
The City of Brooklyn Park hosted its annual celebration of Juneteenth, a holiday that is often referred to as the Independence Day of African Americans.
The Juneteenth celebration kicked off with a parade. Sounds of snare drums, bass drums and children rhythmically screaming echoed off buildings as a local dance group, Unlimited & Next Level Drill & Dance marched around North Hennepin Community College, where the celebration took place.
The event’s theme, “Black Art, Health, and Healing”, was meant to bring the community together to celebrate Black history in a day filled with entertainment and historical education.
“The more that we can get together and get to know each other, get to know our differences, I think that overall the world would be a better place,” said Ashawna Williams, Brooklyn Park’s engagement specialist.
Williams said it was important for government and community leaders to come together and do continue to do more “intentional engagement” with residents, especially the youth.
Juneteenth is an annual holiday recognizing the end of slavery in the United States. Although President Abraham Lincoln made the January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which ended centuries of enslavement of Black people in the Confederate southern states, it wasn’t until two years later, on June 19, 1965, that the last slaves freed. Juneteenth marks the day Major Gen. Gordan Granger marched into Galveston, Texas, with 2,000 soldiers and announced that all slaves were free through General Order No. 3.
An outdoor live painting event at this year’s Juneteenth celebration in Brooklyn Park on Saturday, June 15, 2024 had to move indoors due to a heavy rainstorm that disrupted outdoor activities. Photo: Kwot Anwey/Mshale
The following year, a group of formerly enslaved people celebrated the decree on the first anniversary. Since then, Juneteenth has gained more significance. In 2021, it became a federally-recognized holiday.
Brooklyn Park’s version of the celebration featured some 20 or so vendors promoting their small businesses, selling everything from cosmetics to beaded jewelry, and paintings. Some tents lined up outside the campus’s Health and Wellness Center also featured local organizations like Minnesota Housing, the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth, and the Global Fatherhood Foundation.
“What better way [to connect] with our community,” said Ellie Wright, the operations manager for African Career Education and Resources, one of the vendors. “We want to be able to share all these resources that are available to the community. Some people might not know that we exist or they might not know that they qualify for certain resources or programs, so we want to help them voice what they need and then help them acquire that.”
Several food trucks were present, serving an array of dishes like gumbo, fries, tacos and hibachi. Attendees were encouraged to talk to vendors — a slip with five signatures from vendors was their ticket to obtaining a free meal.
Children got a painting tutorial by a self-taught 13-year-old artist, and creatives spray painted whatever their hearts desired outdoors, perfectly on brand with this year’s theme.
“So when I was diagnosed with postpartum cardiomyopathy, which is heart failure due to giving birth, it kind of pushed me back into trying art, which is my original gift.” said vendor and artist April Nichole. “When I was in the hospital six months ago getting a heart transplant, I tapped back into it. That was my ‘woo-sa’ while I was there. It kept me company while I was there for three months. And so I thought that this event, because it has to do with black art and health, it was the best way to connect.”
Brooklyn Park’s Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 15, 2024 featured some 20 or so vendors promoting their small businesses, selling everything from cosmetics to beaded jewelry, and paintings. Photo: Kwot Anwey/Mshale
Despite a small turn-out and a forced migration indoors later in the afternoon due to a rainstorm, spirits remained high and optimistic for a future of increased racial equality in Brooklyn Park.
Michael Birchard, co-owner of Frog Tree Farm, Minnesota’s oldest Black-owned farm, said that Brooklyn Park needed a lot of work in the area of equity. He said the event was a great opportunity to expose people to a lot of businesses owned and operated by people of color, and push the city to support them.
“Hopefully, some of the city leaders are here, [and] they’ll be able to see that we exist,” Birchard said. “We don’t just live here; we’re economic drivers of the community as well.”
Co-owners of the Coliseum building Janice Downing, Shanelle Montana, Redesign’s Taylor Smrikárova, Alicia Belton and Chris Montana, cut the ribbon during the historic building’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 which was also Juneteenth Day. It reopened to the pubic after a $28 million restoration after being boarded after the George Floyd protests. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
Co-owners of the Coliseum building Janice Downing, Shanelle Montana, Redesign’s Taylor Smrikárova, Alicia Belton and Chris Montana, cut the ribbon during the historic building’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 which was also Juneteenth Day. It reopened to the pubic after a $28 million restoration after being boarded after the George Floyd protests. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
A century old architectural jewel in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis, burned following the George Floyd protests, has been rehabbed and restored to grandeur under new ownership consisting of three women, one of them an architect.
On Juneteenth, Gov. Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council members and a jubilant crowd joined with the three news owners, Alicia Belton, Janice Downing and Shanelle Montana to celebrate the reopening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Classical Revival style building, 2708 East Lake Street, has been vacant since 2020 when the civil unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer saw a number of buildings in the neighborhood torched, including the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct just a block away. That was also Derek Chauvin’s precinct, the man responsible for Mr. Floyd’s death.
An updated sign at the restored Coliseum announces its diversity. The historic building grand opened on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 after a 28 million restoration under new ownership consisting of three women. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
After the Coliseum was torched, its tenants left and it was boarded up.
In 2021, Redesign, a south Minneapolis based community development corporation (CDC), purchased the 85,000-square-foot building. A CDC’s mission is usually not to hold on to such properties, but to return them to local ownership and that is how the trio of women came to be a part of the ownership after they invested $1.5 million through a loan from the City of Minneapolis’ Ownership and Opportunity Fund. The OFF’s website says the fund focuses on buildings in “economically challenged areas,” and the interest-free loans are forgivable after 40 years, as long as it is not sold to anyone except qualified heirs. Redesign will be a co-owner with the three women for about seven years when the tax credits used to finance the massive project are satisfied.
Now after almost four years of sitting empty, meticulous renovations, and an investment of $28 million through public and private financing, and some grants, the historical Coliseum is welcoming back the BIPOC and indigenous business owners that were pushed away following the unrest, by providing them with affordable office, coworking and retail space.
Taylor Smrikárova, Redesign’s project manager for the Coliseum, was the first to make formal remarks at the outdoor ribbon-cutting event just outside the renovated building on the corner of Lake Street and 27th Avenue. The backdrop for speakers was an Autozone which had also been razed to the ground during the unrest but was rebuilt with relative speed due to being part of a national chain with massive resources at its disposal, as was a nearby Target store.
“We chose Juneteenth, or June 19, to celebrate the historic Coliseum building because this day celebrates and honors the resilience and cultural legacy of African Americans,” Ms. Smrikárova said. “The restored Coliseum building is yet another reminder of our history, our strength, grit and our power.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he had been looking forward to a day like this where with city financing through tools like the OFF, “Black businesses have the ability not to just own the business but to own the underlying real estate, a right by the way, so many other white business owners have had for so many generations and the ability to own equity.”
In the black and white photo on the left courtesy of Hennepin County Library Digital Collections, the Coliseum building as it looked in 1962 while it still housed Freeman’s. On the right, a photo taken by Mshale on Juneteenth Day, June 19, 2024 when a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to reopen it to the public after a $28 million restoration following damage it sustained during the George Floyd protests.
When the city approved the OFF funding for the three women co-owners, the Coliseum’s boundaries were in Councilmember Robin Wonsley’s Ward 2, during her first term, before redistricting placed it in Councilmember Jason Chavez’s Ward 9. Speaking to Mshale before the ceremony got underway, a joyful Ms. Wonsley said it was one of her proudest moments to see the renovation come to fruition.
“On the Council side I supported additional funding for what is now known as the Ownership and Opportunity Fund as I have been very invested in the rebuilding of the Longfellow corridor and making sure it honors the history of the uprising that followed George Floyd’s murder, and to be able support community led projects like this is what really makes this job so special,” Councilmember Wonsley said.
In the past, a Denny’s used to occupy a part of the Coliseum’s’ first floor. Co-owner Shanelle Montana told Mshale that she and her husband, Chris Montana, owner of Du Nord Social Spirits just a few blocks away, will be opening a different kind of restaurant in that space.
“It will be a warm and cozy New Orleans style restaurant,” Ms. Montana said.
She said her husband grew up in the area, attending South High School and used to get his haircut in the building.
One of the renovated office and event space at the Coliseum as seen on its grand opening day on Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
The other co-owners, Belton and Downing, are also going to be owner-tenants. Belton was the project’s architect and her firm, Urban Design Perspectives, will now have its office at the building, as will Downing’s firm, Commonsense Consulting.
The two spoke to Mshale as they waited for a local TV station crew to setup for an interview after the historic grand opening. Downing said she fell in love with the building when they first visited but could see challenges in restoring it, and only came on board “because I knew Alicia was going to be the architect.”
By Ms. Belton’s account, this was the most challenging project she has ever undertaken as an architect.
The entire inside of the Coliseum has had extensive renovations and upgrades except this wall that was left untouched as a reminder of the killing of George Floyd that sparked civil unrest and shaped the new story of south Minneapolis. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
In 2022, two years after the civil unrest, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which changed the way Ms. Belton could approach the architectural work involved in restoring it.
“This is actually my first historical tax credit project, so a little bit more involved than my typical adaptive reuse type of projects that we normally do,” said Ms. Belton. “I would say this project made me a better architect because it was really challenging in terms of applying the standards that were required from the State Historical Preservation Office, and when we got on the National Park Registry of Historic Places there was a laundry list of things we had to do, so that is what is different.”
Belton said the historic preservation challenges notwithstanding, it was still a joy to be a part of the project and that being a block away from the Third Precinct “is a daily reminder of why we do the work we do.”
A painting of Prince is among those adorning the walls of the restored Coliseum in the former musician’s hometown of Minneapolis when the historic building grand opened on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
In the many interviews she has given since becoming a co-owner and project architect for the Coliseum’s restoration, which is 107 years old this year and was first built to house the former Freeman’s Department Store, she has reminded folks that the store was one of the first to offer credit to Black people to shop there. The store was located at the building until 1975 when it closed. The building even back then served as an event center and was the venue of many community events, something the restored building will continue to do serving a more diverse audience.
Gov. Walz, Congresswoman Omar, Mayor Frey and Council members pose for a group photo with the owners of the Coliseum building after the ribbon-cutting event concluded on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Tom Gitaa/Mshale
Gov. Walz praised all the partners and stakeholders that made the project possible, and for their vision.
“It truly does take a village, the historic coliseum is a physical manifestation of the resilience of the folks down here, the last four years have been a reckoning in this state, a reckoning of racial inequities, systemic racism. The murder of George Floyd asked us what are we going to do about it, was it going to be written in May of 2020 or was it going to be written going forward, I want to thank everyone here that decided that the future mattered,” Walz said.
Don Samuels during a canvassing exercise in Minneapolis moments after voting in the Presidential Primary on March 5, 2024. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
Don Samuels during a canvassing exercise in Minneapolis moments after voting in the Presidential Primary on March 5, 2024. Mshale Staff Photo by Jasmine Webber
I knew there would be hardships when I immigrated to the United States alone, with $87 dollars in my pocket. There was no illusion that my new home was perfect. However, I knew that I was setting a course for opportunities that were unavailable to a low-income student in post-colonial Jamaica. America was a land of possibilities for me, but I also saw it as a land that had come to recognize its own possibilities. Today, as I run for Congress in Minnesota’s Fifth District Democratic primary on Aug. 13, my belief in the ongoing perfection of our union has only grown stronger.
I arrived in New York City after the Civil Rights Movement to study design at Pratt Institute. I labored full-time at low-wage jobs by night while attending school full-time during the day. My immigration status prevented me from working, so my labor and wages were often undocumented and exploited by those who knew I had little legal recourse. Still, I remained inspired by a country reckoning with racial justice and equal opportunity. Those changes were achieved by the leadership of African Americans like Martin Luther King Jr., Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, and their allies, who, out of great disadvantage, believed in a better future. They had the courage to change what they could not accept.
As I embarked on my career as a toy designer and inventor, I was always the first black person ever at my level in the history of each company and always the only Black department head. I made a pledge in college that I would always live in the most challenged part of my city. I committed to placing myself where the greatest need and opportunity to give back existed, continuing the work of those who opened doors for me. While I was advancing in my career, I was living and working shoulder-to-shoulder with church and community leaders to restore neighborhoods that had been decimated by white and middle-class flight.
My wife, Sondra, joined me in that pledge. We’ve lived in the Jordan neighborhood of north Minneapolis for more than 27 years. Within the first week, a bullet crashed through the window of our nursery room. Friends encouraged us to move to a safer neighborhood, but we interpreted it as a call to organize.
Sondra and I refused to passively accept inferior conditions, believing it’s our calling to heal the present and serve the future. With our neighbors, we demanded greater safety. We chased drug dealers and their suburban customers off our blocks. We pressured slumlords to improve their rental properties. We led day-long vigils for those slain by gun violence. We pursued innovative strategies for improved K12 outcomes. Eventually, my neighbors urged me to run for public office–and with an army of eager neighbors, we won.
I served three terms on the Minneapolis City Council. As Chair of the Public Safety Committee, I oversaw a drop in annual homicides from 60 to less than 20 and in violent crimes by double digits for six successive years. But safety isn’t just about enforcement. It’s also about restoration, so I co-authored our state’s first “ban-the-box” legislation, which helped those previously convicted of a crime find employment when they were released. I steered tens of millions of dollars to the Northside and transformed our physical environment through improved regulations. I committed myself to superior constituent service, giving constituents tools to hold me accountable because I firmly believe accountability empowers the community.
During my one term on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board, I successfully urged my colleagues to make monthly reports on student performance in an effort to hold ourselves accountable for closing the achievement gap and keeping the main thing, the Main Thing.
Most recently, I served as the CEO of MicroGrants, making modest grants to low-income entrepreneurs to start and grow fledgling businesses. Many of those grants were in the form of used vehicles. When Philando Castile, a school cafeteria worker, was killed after being pulled over for a broken taillight, I created the award-winning Lights On! Program in response. Now, when a driver is pulled over for any broken light, instead of a ticket and confrontation, the officer brings a voucher worth up to $250 for free repairs at a local participating auto shop. with more than 15,000 vouchers redeemed, a once-dreaded encounter has become an opportunity for healing, gratitude, and restoration in 24 states. I believe that our greatest challenges contain their own solutions if we dedicate ourselves to finding them.
As a Jamaican immigrant, I’ve been given the gift of seeing the American commitment to self-improvement in individual lives and in the life of our nation. As a private sector leader, I have seen the power of accountability, ingenuity, and effort. We are on an evolutionary march towards better products but also ever-greater justice, equality and well-being. However, our ongoing transformation will not roll in on the wheels of inevitability. Real progress requires electing leaders who approach public service with a keen perspective of history, a reverence for the honor of leading, and respect for the people who trust us to serve well.
As an immigrant, I understand that many countries feel resigned to inequality and are often powerless to exploitation. I understand, better than most, the role global superpowers play in the existence of those conditions. Most of my siblings still live in Jamaica. The land of my birth struggles with poverty and violence in close proximity to luxury resorts for carefree tourists. Creating a more just world means changing the way our nation engages it. America must strive to be a peacemaker, an agent of opportunity, and a trusted partner to conscientious global leaders.
My journey and the opportunities that I have enjoyed are at the heart of my challenge to Rep. Ilhan Omar. Both my wife and I voted for her when she was elected to Congress in 2018. We believed that her story as an immigrant, refugee, Black, Muslim, young woman, would give her the depth to unite our community and nation across our many differences. Unfortunately, we and so many of the exhausted majority have become disillusioned.
Instead of uniting our district, Omar has pitted us against one another. She exploits our differences, creating us-and-them factions. Stoking that narrow political base has proven an effective strategy for winning an August primary, but it’s made her one of the worst performing Congressional candidates in the country–trailing President Biden by 70,000 votes in 2020, more than any other Democrat. Knowing Democrats have been guaranteed a November win in this district since 1960, she then proceeds to serve herself.
Federal filings show Omar paid her political consultant-turned-husband nearly $3 million in campaign funds. One could easily surmise that she then used her influence to help him gain access to investors for their newly founded California winery and multiple venture capital firms since he has no professional experience in either industry. In her husband’s latest business, it also appears that Omar is using her work on Africa policy to help him access contacts and contracts for aid work, multinational investment, and real estate deals on the continent, as he has no high-level professional experience in international affairs. When asked, she refuses to answer questions from journalists or provide more transparency.
Sadly, Omar has even stood in the way of much-needed solutions, actively working against seasoned political leaders during some of our biggest challenges. While my wife and I rallied members of communities most stricken by gun violence, she sharply criticized Democratic leaders like former President Barack Obama and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as they cautioned against defunding the police. Omar even voted against President Joe Biden’s signature infrastructure bill that is creating thousands of jobs here in Minnesota, and, as the opioid epidemic ravaged communities across the country, she voted against legislation that would help address the problem.
Our communities–and indeed our democracy–are facing some of our biggest historical challenges. Yet democracy still represents the best chance for our nation to maintain its steady progress and address the problems facing us. It has made our nation a beacon of hope for millions of immigrants like me. It has made us a model for countries across the world struggling with integrating diverse, newly-arriving populations and a corresponding rise in authoritarianism and discrimination against immigrants and ethnic minorities.
I know first-hand the impact that American progress has had on my destiny, and I am keenly committed and focused on continuing that progress as a member of Congress. Too many have sacrificed too much for us to fall victim to leaders who seek public office as a means of advancing their interests instead of those of our community. In order to continue creating a more perfect union, we need leaders who have character, perspective, and a clear vision for progress and unity. I humbly ask for your support and for your vote on or before the August 13th Democratic primary. For more information about our grassroots campaign, visit www.donsmuels.com.
Don Samuels is a candidate for Congress in Minnesota’s Fifth District and the former CEO of MicroGrants. He has also served three terms on the Minneapolis City Council and one term on the Minneapolis school board.
Rep. Ilhan Omar at The Coven in Minneapolis where she held a press conference on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 ahead of the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned Roe. vs. Wade. Photo: Kwot Anwey/Mshale
Rep. Ilhan Omar at The Coven in Minneapolis where she held a press conference on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 ahead of the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned Roe. vs. Wade. Photo: Kwot Anwey/Mshale
Rep. Ilhan Omar and several elected officials and activists held a press conference in Minneapolis Tuesday morning, calling on voters to make reproductive rights a major campaign issue in the upcoming general elections.
Omar urged voters to mobilize and elect pro-choice Democratic candidates in order to safeguard reproductive health care protections to women, both in Minnesota and nationwide. The press conference was held to mark two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a landmark ruling, which the same court made in 1973 to protect women’s right to abortion.
After nearly 50 years, the current Supreme Court overturned the law on June 24, 2022. Omar was among 17 congresspeople arrested in 2022 while protesting the ruling in a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which stripped women across the United States of their constitutional right to receive abortions.
“When the Supreme Court chose to roll back the clock, I put my body on the line and stood in protest alongside my colleagues because the moment called for bold and direct action,” said Omar. “I put my body on the line because I could not accept living in a world where my daughters were going to grow up with fewer reproductive rights than my generation and the generations before have. Now more than ever, we have a clear directive to win a majority in both chambers of Congress in order to deliver equitable reproductive healthcare across the country.”
Ruth Richardson, a former state representative who now serves as the chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States, encouraged voters to expand their scope on the issue at hand.
“We know that there is so much that is on the ballot in November,” Richardson said. “We know that voting rights are on the line. We know that sexual and reproductive health care rights are on the line and that includes access to abortion care. That also includes contraception, and fertility treatments as well. And we also recognize that democracy is on the line.
Richardson said states with the most restrictive abortion laws have the highest rates of maternal mortality, the highest rates of infant mortality and that recently there has been a staggering increase in both domestic violence and intimate partner violence reports since the 2022 ruling.
The press conference took place at The Coven, the queer and gender-inclusive gathering space, and included personal testimonies — largely from women — about how abortion access had changed their lives for the better.
“I was not in a position to carry that pregnancy forward, and I was fortunate and privileged to live in a state and have a support network where I could navigate a complex system and find resources to access abortion,” said Alissa Light, a proponent of Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment, as she recounted the memory of undergoing an abortion two decades ago.
“I went into that clinic, and I have to say it felt like a sanctuary,” Light said. “It was right. I went into the rest and recovery room and my friend from South Dakota came out soon after. She sat down next to me, she put her hand on my hand and we just had a moment.”
The Minnesota Pro Act, which was passed in 2023, “codifies protections for all reproductive health care, including but not limited to: contraception, sterilization, preconception care, maternity care, abortion care, family planning and fertility services, and counseling regarding reproductive health care,” according to the state’s press release after Governor Tim Walz signed the bill into law. The Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill and the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act also provide protections for patients and providers.
Minnesota is among U.S. states with codified safeguards for women seeking abortion access and reproductive health care that have been taken away since the Dobbs decision, but local advocates say that the fight is far from over, calling attention to the need to decrease healthcare disparities among marginalized communities.
“Even here in Minnesota, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women,” said Esther Agbaje, a lawmaker who represents District 59B in the Minnesota State legislature. “And here in Minnesota, Black Minnesotans represent 13 percent of the birthing population but make up 23 percent of the pregnancy-associated deaths, and that is unacceptable, especially when the CDC estimates that more than 80 percent of pregnancy related deaths are preventable.”
With an emphasis on religious and cultural diversity at the forefront, Omar said remains steadfast in her championing for reproductive rights and abortion access.
“Our communities will never benefit by limiting choice,” said Omar. “I think whether you look at it religiously or not, it’s always important for the person, in whatever contracts they find themselves, to be able to have the ability to make that choice for them because a lot of the healthcare decisions are personal, and I think if we allow a few men of certain faith to make decisions about what we are allowed and what we are not allowed — what we are afforded and what we are not afforded — then I think that becomes a challenge for all of us.”
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, a candidate for Minnesota’s Fifth
Congressional District, speaks at the DFL endorsing convention on May 11, 2024 as wife Sondra, right, looks on. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, a candidate for Minnesota’s Fifth
Congressional District, speaks at the DFL endorsing convention on May 11, 2024 as wife Sondra, right, looks on. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, a candidate for Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District, has secured crucial endorsements from two influential unions as he heads into the August 13th Democratic primary against incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar.
This is the first union endorsement he has received.
Samuels’s new endorsers are United Steelworkers, a union representing 1.2 million members across various industries, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, which boasts over 400,000 members in the U.S. and Canada with 14,000 of the members located in Minnesota and the Dakotas.
“Our campaign is not just about winning an election, it’s about making a real difference in the lives of working families,” Samuels said in a statement. “I’m deeply honored to have the support of these unions and their members as we gather momentum for the August 13th primary.”
The endorsements come as things heat up between Samuels and his opponent; Recently, he demanded Omar answer questions about her husband’s business dealings, which her campaign said she is not involved in. The endorsements come within days of Omar releasing her first TV ad in her reelection bid.
BREAKING – Candidate for Congress Don Samuels receives key Labor Union endorsements. “Our campaign is not just about winning an election, it’s about making a real difference in the lives of working families. I’m deeply honored to have the support of these unions and their members… pic.twitter.com/yvikIV7Lgt
Jason George, Business Manager for Operating Engineers’ Local 49, emphasized the union’s support for Samuels, citing Omar’s position on the 2021 Infrastructure Bill as a reason the union is siding with her challenger.
“Our members deserve representation that prioritizes their well-being over political grandstanding,” George said. “Rep. Omar’s vote against the infrastructure package signaled a need for new leadership in the Fifth District.”
The congresswoman’s campaign in responding to the two unions’ endorsements claimed she has the most Union support in the race, stating on X that “Our campaign is proud to be the only one in this race endorsed by a broad coalition of labor unions. From SEIU to Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, It’s clear that Labor is on Team Ilhan.”
Samuels is a Jamaican immigrant who served three terms on the Minneapolis City Council and one term on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board.
He is challenging Omar for the second time, after a narrow defeat in 2022 where he came within 2.1% of unseating her.
Rep. Ilhan Omar leaves the Veterans Service Building in St. Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 after officially filing paperwork to run in the Democratic primary being held on August 13, 2024. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Rep. Ilhan Omar leaves the Veterans Service Building in St. Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 after officially filing paperwork to run in the Democratic primary being held on August 13, 2024. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) launched the first advertisement campaign of her re-election bid over the weekend with a 30-second spot that focuses on her accomplishments.
The ad, titled “The 5th,” is airing in the Minneapolis/St. Paul media market, along with new upcoming advertisements in Somali and Spanish. It’s part of her campaign’s initial six-figure investment in broadcast and cable TV and digital ads, and comes about two months before the Democratic primary on August 13 where she is the party’s endorsed candidate.
In the ad, Rep. Omar says “you are the one I fight for every day,” as it shows clips of her mingling with everyday people in parks, places of work and in the streets.
The ad emphasizes the congresswoman’s record on delivering food security, affordable housing and healthcare, and reminds viewers she is a refugee that the state welcomed and taught the value of democracy. She is the only African-born member of Congress.
The spot is the first to be aired in this election cycle by a candidate in the Fifth Congressional District. While the TV ad can be seen everywhere in the Twin Cities metro and the parts of Wisconsin that neighbor the Twin Cities metro such as Hudson, the cities in her district include Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights, Crystal, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hilltop, Minneapolis, New Hope, Richfield, Robbinsdale, St. Anthony, St. Louis Park and Spring Lake Park.
First elected in 2018, Rep. Omar is seeking a fourth term and her main challenger in the Democratic primary is former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels. There are two other candidates in the Democratic primary, Abena McKenzie and Nate Schluter. McKenzie and Schluter do not seem to have any active campaigns going on, as they have no registered websites Mshale is aware of, or a social media presence – their official filing paperwork also had no website addresses. There will be no GOP primary as only one candidate filed to run, Ms. Dalia Al-Aqidi.
Even though Republican Ms. Al-Aqidi is in the race for the November election, and having no Republican challenger to necessitate a primary, in the overwhelmingly Democratic Fifth Congressional District, the Democratic primary on August 13 is where the race will likely be decided – as it was the last time Mr. Samuels challenged Rep. Omar for the Democratic nomination and came within two percentage points of winning.
The Omar campaign does not seem to want a repeat of a close primary. In addition to the first round of advertising, the congresswoman’s campaign has hired its largest team of organizing staff, bringing the contingent to 32. State Democratic Party chair, Mr. Ken Martin, even before this new addition of staff had credited Rep. Omar with having the most robust ground game.
The campaign in a statement said it is going to have its largest primary operations to date as “we are committed to boosting turnout and ensuring everyone gets a chance to hear from our campaign before the August 13th Primary.”
Bush Foundation 2024 fellows, (Row 1 L-R) Rod Adams, Mari Tototzintle Avaloz, Autumn Cavender, Adrean Clark, Trahern Crews, Lachelle Cunningham. (Row 2 L-R) Roberto de la Riva , Frederick Edwards, Jr., Michelle Goose, Monica Hurtado, Arlene Krulish, Jouapag Lee.
(Row 3 L-R) Lily Mendoza, Manka Nkimbeng, David O’Hara, Alysha Price, Kasim Abdur Razzaq, Leslie Ellen Redmond. (Row 4 L-R) Jamil Stamschror-Lott, Antony Stately, Irma Marquez Trapero, Moira Villiard, May Lee Xiong, Amber Zora. Photos: Courtesy Bush Foundation
Bush Foundation 2024 fellows, (Row 1 L-R) Rod Adams, Mari Tototzintle Avaloz, Autumn Cavender, Adrean Clark, Trahern Crews, Lachelle Cunningham. (Row 2 L-R) Roberto de la Riva , Frederick Edwards, Jr., Michelle Goose, Monica Hurtado, Arlene Krulish, Jouapag Lee.
(Row 3 L-R) Lily Mendoza, Manka Nkimbeng, David O’Hara, Alysha Price, Kasim Abdur Razzaq, Leslie Ellen Redmond. (Row 4 L-R) Jamil Stamschror-Lott, Antony Stately, Irma Marquez Trapero, Moira Villiard, May Lee Xiong, Amber Zora. Photos: Courtesy Bush Foundation
The Bush Foundation on Tuesday announced 24 recipients of its Bush Fellowships for 2024. The fellowship provides up to $100,000 to recipients to help them “build their skills and their networks and expand their thinking in ways that can help them drive transformational change in and across communities.”
Recipients are from Minnesota, North Dakota and the 23 Native nations in the same geography as the three states.
“This year’s Fellows represent transformational leaders with deep love for their communities,” said Ms. Adora Land, the foundation’s grantmaking director in the announcement. “We are excited to be a part of their leadership journey as they continue to have greater influence and change within our region.”
Among this year’s recipients is former Minneapolis NAACP president Ms. Leslie Redmond who announced her selection on X and thanked God for the win, saying this was the fourth time she had applied and that “I guess the 4th time is the charm!!!”
Thank you, God ❤️🙏🏾 I guess the 4th time is the charm!!!! It’s official. I have been selected as a 2024 Bush Fellow from the @BushFoundation
Hundreds of people apply for the fellowship every year. I am 1 out of 24 people who have been selected to receive the fellowship. #DCApic.twitter.com/GhSKpeOLGU
She was president of the Minneapolis NAACP when George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police and the unrest that followed. She is the youngest person ever elected to be Minneapolis NAACP president. In the bio posted following her selection as a fellow, the Bush Foundation said by leading the Minneapolis NAACP during the pandemic and unrest that followed Mr. Floyd’s murder, “Leslie has demonstrated her leadership in extraordinarily challenging circumstances.”
Also notable among this year’s fellows is Mr. Trahern Crews. His efforts, the Bush Foundations said, led to legislation such as Saint Paul Recovery Act Community Reparations Commission. That is a permanent advisory body whose powers and duties are spelled out in the capital city’s city code.
Mr. Crews will use his Fellowship to “spend time engaging more deeply in educational initiatives, expanding his network and enhancing his public speaking skills to better advocate for his community.”
You can read more about this year’s fellows on the Bush Foundation website.
A sketch of Harriet and Dred Scott. The two lived as slaves at Fort Snelling in Minnesota before suing for their freedom. Fort Snelling will have special tours of the historic place on Junteenth which is on Wednesday, June 19. Check story below for details on tickets. Photo: Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
A sketch of Harriet and Dred Scott. The two lived as slaves at Fort Snelling in Minnesota before suing for their freedom. Fort Snelling will have special tours of the historic place on Junteenth which is on Wednesday, June 19. Check story below for details on tickets. Photo: Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
Juneteenth has been observed for more than 150 years in remembrance of June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers told slaves in Galveston, Texas that they had been freed. Slave owners had kept the news from the slaves that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier.
Several events to commemorate the holiday are being held around the Twin Cities metro area and parts of greater Minnesota in the days leading to June 19 and days after.
Below are a sampling of the events Mshale staff is aware of, most of which are free to attend. More events will be included as we learn of them. You can submit your event by choosing Event Submissions in the dropdown at this link. Put Juneteenth 2024 in the subject.
Provide as much information as possible in your submission and whether the event is free or paid as well as your contact information.
Have you heard of the Dred Scott v. Sandford case of 1857? In case you didn’t know, Mr. Dred Scott and his wife Harriet, lived right here in Minnesota at Fort Snelling as enslaved people before suing for freedom. On June 19, Fort Snelling is offering a tour focusing on African American history at the fort. This tour will be a special topic add-on offered all day on Juneteenth. Learn about the early Black communities, free and enslaved, in what would become the state of Minnesota, and about the African Americans newly arriving during the Civil War.
After the Civil War, Black regulars of the 25th US Infantry – “Buffalo Soldiers” – were stationed at the fort prior to departing on their nearly 2000-mile bicycle experiment, and many went on to make the Twin Cities home after their service in the Army.
Tours on June 19 will be at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm.
The University of Minnesota will host its third annual Juneteenth Celebration block party and commemorative march in North Minneapolis. It will feature Black vendors, free food, speakers, workshops, fashion show, storytellers, drumline, dancers, musicians, performers, DJs, live screen printing, roller skating, books, free food, free haircuts, art-making, a bouncy house, petting zoo, and more.
Location: Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) @ 2001 Plymouth Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411
This is Minnesota’s de facto main celebration of Juneteenth due to its sheer size and scale. You can read Mshale’s coverage of this massive event here.
There will be a parade spanning a few blocks and two stages for entertainment and speakers. A rally for social and economic justice will also take place. There will also be what organizers are calling a “local star-studded entertainment jamboree.” Some highlights include: A free mini-carnival and youth entrepreneur experience for those 16 and younger will be held all day and a West Broadway Block Party Father’s Day Brunch.
A free Metro Transit bus/train pass is available for download at the Juneteenth Minnesota website link above.
Written by Rose McGee, Kumbayah the Juneteenth Story is a two-act play that addresses the time when information was withheld from Blacks that they were no longer slaves. The play spans centuries and continents, with scenes set in early 1800s West Africa, present-day North Minneapolis, and the Turner Plantation, TX in 1863. Following the play, Dr. Amelious Whyte, University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts interim director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will moderate a Q&A with the cast.
The Music of Rondo Juneteenth celebration in St. Paul will be celebrating the legacy of the Walker West Music Academy whose alumni include current St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and former St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. Photo: Courtesy Walker West Music Academy
The Rondo Center of Diverse Expressions (RCODE) will host its annual Juneteenth observance from 12pm to 5pm. This year’s theme is The Music of Rondo: Celebrating the Walker West Music Academy and recognition of the Academy and its founders, Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West. Performers from the academy will offer a concert featuring alumni and current students. A Spirit of Rondo Achievement Award will be presented to St. Paul Fire Department Captain Brittney Baker. Featured food vendors, exhibitors, and information tables will be found on Fisk Street.
Venue: Rondo Commemorative Plaza – 820 Old Rondo Avenue St. Paul, MN, 55104
Former South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers will keynote the Juneteenth Breakfast on Thursday, June 21, 2024 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo: Courtesy Minnesota Humanities Center
The Minnesota Humanities Center’s annual Juneteenth breakfast will feature a keynote address and community conversation with former South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers who is also an attorney, and political commentator. He will discuss his book “The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn’t and How We All Can Move Forward Now.” Mr. Sellers is also a CNN political analyst and lobbyist for the government of Liberia.
The City of Brooklyn Center will be celebrating Juneteenth through two events, a golf tournament on Friday, June 14 at Centerbrook Golf Course and a family friendly event on Saturday, June 15 at Centennial Park featuring entertainment, food, vendors, art activities, inflatables, face painting, balloon art, teen activities, city trucks, and more. Full entertainment lineup that includes Afrobeats, Nunnabove and more at the link above.
KNOWN Mpls is one of teh efatyured performers at Brooklyn Park’s Juneteenth celbration being held on teh grounds of Norh Hennepin Community College on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Photo: Courtesy Known MPLS
Brooklyn Park’s celebration will take place on the grounds of North Hennepin Community College which will feature the main stage and at the Center for Business and Technology where “Wellness Break” activities like “Discovering Our Stories: Exploring Identity and Self-Love Through Literacy” by Devina Moore will take place. This year’s theme is “Black Art, Health, and Healing.” There will be a parade and live entertainment from the likes of Carnage the Executioner, Known MPLS, Maya Marchelle and others as well as Hip Hop Cardio fitness by instructor Kiki Jones. Guests include William Bakeshow Baker of KMOJ Radio and serial entrepreneur Rashida Jenkins.
Brooklyn Park’s celebration will take place at North River Hills Park from 1pm to 3:30pm. This year there will be live music from All City Music Band and the Apple Valley R&B Group, A line dancing party, Rollin Nolen’s BBQ food truck, A game and contest, Spoken word from Alero Ogisi, Kids crafts and more!
Bring a lawn chair or a blanket.
Location: North River Hills Park – 11501 19th Ave., Burnsville, MN 55337
This is Maple Grove’s annual Juneteenth celebration hosted by the Parks and Recreation Dept. featuring a welcome from the Mayor, a black owned vendor fair, food trucks, kids activities, story walks, giveaways, a coloring mural, and entertainment on the stage. There will be spoken word from Poetíc Mamá & Destinee Foster including a tribute to Prince.
According to a post on the City of Eagan website, Eagan residents Richard and Stacey Johnson plus Carmen and Manu Lewis reached out to ask how the City planned to Juneteenth now that Minnesota had made it a state holiday. In conversation with staff members, the group concluded that because Juneteenth is so deeply rooted in Black history and identity, the City should support, rather than lead such a celebration. Over the past year, these residents have worked hard to plan for a vibrant event with music, food trucks, activities, and an educational history walk.
The event will take place at Viking Lakes from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 23.
Venue: Viking Lakes Plaza (Yes, at the ultra-modern Vikings Football team practice facility): 2685 Vikings Cir, Eagan, MN 55121.
This family friendly event will feature a DJ, live performers, kid activities, free food and the return of last year’s grill masters with their famous BBQ chicken.
Location: Ojibway Park – 2685 Vikings Cir, Eagan, MN 55121.
The Duluth NAACP invites the community to an afternoon of music, free dinner, family fun, BIPOC vendors, community information tables, and more starting at 3pm to 7pm.
Location: Central Hillside Community Center – 4th Street and Lake Avenue. GPs address is 12 E 4th St, Duluth, MN 55805
Tom Funker will keynote Mankato’s Juneteenth celebration at the Civic Center Plaza on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Photo: Courtesy Greater Mankato Diversity Council
This is the seventh year that GMDC is hosting its Juneteenth celebration at the Civic Center Plaza and the theme is ‘Black History is American History.’ The event starts at 2pm and concludes at 7pm but will be preceded by a Freedom Walk at 1:30pm that will start at Shared Spaces (127 South 2nd Street). The 0.2-mile procession will head to the Civic Center Plaza. Please RSVP for the walk at the event link above.
Keynote speaker is Tom Flunker, an educator and advocate. MC is Xavier Thomas of Brooklyn Park, a recent graduate of Minnesota State – Mankato.
Location: Civic Center Plaza – 10 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato, MN 56001
The St. Cloud community is invited to Lake George for a time of celebrating our roots, our history and our community. There will be a 3×3 basketball tournament for ages 10-18 right across from city hall, a grill off competition and a Juneteenth Wonderland Family Zone and merchants of all kinds.
Location: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park – 1738 E. Center St., Rochester, MN 55904
Over 1,500 attendees are expected at this celebration that has been hosted by the Rochester Branch of the NAACP since 2005. There will be plenty of family friendly activities including live music, LaSonya Natividad and the Soul Train (Rochester’s Premier Soul and Funk Band), Jazz and Blues (Mitch Stevenson, LaSonya Natividad, Juneteenth Quartet and Guest Singer) and many food vendors.
Location: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park – 1738 E. Center St., Rochester, MN 55904
