Oballa Oballa of Austin, Minnesota is ready to expand his leadership roles within his city. The twenty-seven-year-old is running for a seat on the city’s council.
Oballa, a native of Ethiopia, moved to the United States seven years ago with his family. He was born in Gambella Ethiopia, a city that was affected by genocide in 2003. Oballa’s family was...
The Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage announced last week that Linda Sloan has been named the Council’s new executive director, effective immediately. She becomes the first woman to lead the 40-year old Council.
The transition in leadership comes after the resignation of Justin Terrell who left to take over the leadership of the Minnesota Justice Research Center.
The Council for...
Long time Brooklyn Park resident Boyd Morson is ready to expand his role in the community by vouching for a seat on the city’s council. Boyd is running for a position to represent the city’s central district. Morson is among those who prevailed in the August 11 state primaries to move on to the November 3 general election.
Morson first...
The Dakota-Scott Workforce Development Board which provides guidance and exercises oversight to activities related to the Job Training programs in the counties of Dakota and Scott is seeking nominations for its Legislative and Employer Awards event to be held in December.
Nominations being sought are for individuals, programs, companies and organizations that improve workplaces in the two counties.
The nomination deadline...
OneUnited, the largest Black owned bank in the U.S. announced Wednesday that it has achieved the over 100,000 customers milestone. The bank attributed the success to its social justice activism and investments in its technology platform.
“Our customer base continues to grow rapidly, and we have expanded access and now have over 100,000 locations to better meet their needs. Importantly,...
Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), and Joaquin Castro (D-TX) have condemned the treatment of Cameroonian migrants and asylum seekers in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. In a letter to ICE director Tony H. Pham that was also sent to Mshale, the represenatives also raised concerns related to human rights violations, the ongoing Anglophone crisis, and...
In my first three months of work as the Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, I have been fortunate to meet with so many business owners and entrepreneurs who are shaping Minnesota's economy. My work is about better understanding the current conditions, especially the barriers to starting and growing a business in our state.
Last week, I visited with...
As the COVID-19 crisis continues local non-profit organizations are rising to meet new challenges wrought by the pandemic. One such group is the African Minnesota Women’s Awareness Group (AMWAG) which has been hosting a series of food drives to meet the increased rates of food insecurity.
AMWAG, founded in 2015, first began as a women’s social group and later evolved...
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has announced the honorees for this year’s Outstanding Refugee Awards. The awards recognize refugees for civic engagement, entrepreneurship, young leadership and significant efforts during their first two years in the state.
In 2019, Minnesota welcomed 891 refugees from 13 countries, about half of them children and youth. The largest number of refugees were from...
On September 23, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) distributed one hundred free computer packages for Minnesotans in need. Dozens of Minnesotans will now be able to search for and apply for jobs on their personal computers.
“We recognize that not having access to a computer or the internet makes getting a job during the pandemic very...
Saint Paul based nonprofit, Books for Africa on Thursday celebrated the shipment of 50 million books over the course of the organization’s 32-year history during a virtual celebration. The organization is the largest shipper of donated school textbooks to Africa.
Ghana’s ambassador to the United States, Dr. Barfour Adjei-Barwuah, introduced by former Minneapolis Mayor, Sharon Sayles Belton, delivered the keynote...
