Recent content from Zoë Jackson
Three years on, Minneapolis remembers George Floyd
Visitors still come to 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis to learn about the movement for racial justice. A series of gatherings on Thursday marked three years since Floyd was murdered in the custody of Minneapolis police officers.
Where to remember George Floyd on 3rd anniversary of his death in Minneapolis
Events begin Thursday and run through Saturday.
St. Paul farmers teach children how their food is grown
Exposing young children to vegetables and fruits means they are much more likely to eat them into adulthood, health advocates say.
Minnesotans testify about racial injustice to global audience
Representatives from the United Nations traveled to Minneapolis to hear more than a dozen speakers share their stories about juvenile incarceration and police brutality.
Minn. school segregation lawsuit to get another day in court: 5 things to know about the case
The Minnesota Supreme Court will consider a portion of the case known as Cruz-Guzman this week.
Waters receding in much of state, while Mississippi River continues to rise in St. Paul, downstream
Officials welcomed a forecast of dry weather for the next few days.
Three juveniles killed in two separate ATV crashes Saturday in Minnesota
Both accidents are under investigation.
Want to go undercover to test housing discrimination? Legal Aid is seeking Minnesota volunteers
Testers look for different treatment during the rental application process.
Doctor's quick thinking helps save some vision for man who woke up blind in one eye
A thankful Loretto man urged people to seek emergency care for sudden blindness.
Proposal aims to keep better track of hate crimes, bias incidents in Minnesota
Bill at Capitol would train police, empower community organizations to help collect data.
Black leaders find safety in Minneapolis wellness center that focuses on their needs
Practitioners at Wellness Paradigm have first-hand knowledge of the stresses carried by people of color.
Improv festival returns to Minneapolis and puts Black joy on stage
Fest that started small in 2016 has grown into an event over several days that draws participants from across the U.S. and Canada.
New report shows stark economic inequalities among Minnesota's cultural groups
Key findings relied on survey data collected between 2016 and 2020 and show disparities in homeownership, employment, education levels and individual earnings.
U honors Josie R. Johnson, state's 'first lady of civil rights'
Johnson, 92, was a professor in the College of Education and she helped create the University's African American and African Studies program.
Walz signs bill granting driver's licenses to unauthorized immigrants
Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill into law at the Minnesota National Guard Armory in St. Paul that will allow unauthorized immigrants in Minnesota to obtain driver's licenses.
University of Minnesota, state health department launch scholarship for public health studies
The scholarship will provide up to $30,000 for students pursuing a master's degree in public health
Ukrainian family now in Minnesota reflects on a year of war
More than 2,600 refugee sponsor applications originated in Minnesota. So far, 30 families have arrived.
Minnesota Senate passes bill to restore voting rights to felons
The state would join 21 others where felons regain the right to vote upon their release.
HCMC launches program to help patients get online
The Minneapolis hospital recently launched a program, called digital navigators, that helped more than 800 people access their health records and other digital tools over the past year.
3 Twin Cities brewers aim to raise awareness of craft beer industry in Black community
Trio's podcast focuses on the craft beer industry and Black culture.
St. Paul soon to launch forgivable housing loan program for former Rondo residents
The initiative builds on the city's existing down payment assistance and homeowner rehab programs.
Bills making Juneteenth a state holiday, banning hair discrimination now law
The state's newest holiday will be recognized for the first time this year, with government offices closed.
Minnesota Legislature passes CROWN Act prohibiting hair discrimination
The bill, whose name stands for "Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair," prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and type,
Minnesota bill would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses
For one undocumented mom, driving children to school brings fear.
On MLK day, Twin Cities speakers urge 'keep moving forward' in justice fight, reparations push
Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, gave the keynote address at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Monday morning.
Homeland Security extends Temporary Protected Status for Somalia
The program offers an additional 18 months in the United States.
'Driver's Licenses for All' campaign debuts in key Minnesota House committee
Advocates say the law prohibiting undocumented people from acquiring driver's licenses poses a safety issue.
Twin Cities woman dies in snowmobile accident north of Hibbing
St. Louis County authorities say it appears snowmobile driver lost control of machine, struck tree.
Twin Cities business owner reunited with family after detainment in Ethiopia
About 50 people welcomed Tashitaa Tufaa at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Twin Cities businessman released in Ethiopia
Family members say they don't know why Tashitaa Tufaa was handcuffed at an airport after visiting his ailing mother.
Minneapolis development program builds construction careers and life skills for youth
Lake Street Works wants to expose teens of color to careers that can sustain families.
Jean-Nickolaus Tretter, local LGBTQ archivist and advocate, dies
"With the oppression and violence today I think Jean was on the right track preserving the history ... He was a visionary in that respect."
African leadership conference in Minneapolis this week
Obtaining business loans. Marketing. Working with artists to promote community development. African immigrant business owners and community representatives from around the country will share knowledge…
They pledged allegiance to the flag for the first time as U.S. citizens
Nearly 2,000 immigrants became naturalized citizens Tuesday in St. Paul.
Twin Cities LGBTQ community left reeling from Club Q shooting
Feeling vulnerable after Colorado shooting, some in local LGBTQ circles are banding together.
Nellie Stone Johnson honored with statue at the State Capitol
The likeness of the civil rights leader is the first statue placed inside the Capitol in more than 60 years.
Internet speed disparities in Minneapolis depend on address
Formerly redlined neighborhoods have the lowest percentages of broadband internet.
Ethiopian Minnesotans, watching war from afar, hope fragile peace holds
There are about 35,000 Ethiopian immigrants and people of Ethiopian descent in the state.
Mpls. areas hit by crime want say with candidates, not slogans
Some leaders in the areas hit hardest by violence say they wish candidates would spend more time engaging them and residents instead of using public safety as a flashpoint in campaign ads.
Minnesota artists install Day of the Dead altar at State Capitol
Making an altar is a tradition for Mexicans and Latin Americans around the world.
Community leaders discuss ways to bridge the racial hunger divide in Minnesota
Second Harvest saw its hungriest summer ever this year with rising food costs, supply chain issues and wages that haven't kept up with inflation.
Twin Cities area sees wave of new coffee shops opened by people of color
While most coffee is farmed by Black and brown people in Latin America and Africa, nearly 70% of U.S. coffee roasters are white, according to Zippia, a career website.
International Institute of Minnesota launches guaranteed income pilot program for refugees
One of the country's first programs of its kind, it is funded through foundations and private donors.
How planting trees fights racial inequity and climate change in poorest Twin Cities areas
Residents in neighborhoods with less tree cover face hotter summers, higher bills and more health complications. Several metro cities and nonprofits are working to repair this gap in the canopy.
Twin Cities' communities of color hurt most by lack of trees. A tornado made it worse.
In north Minneapolis, a 2011 storm wiped out 150 acres of trees — and to this day, an untold number have not been replaced. Costs, upkeep, reluctant landowners, competing dreams for limited space, as well as invasive pests are all impeding the canopy recovery.
How you can help the tree canopy
Looking to help preserve and improve the Twin Cities' beloved tree canopy? Here's how you can get involved.
Federal committee on maternal mortality held at Mystic Lake this week
For the first time, a federal committee tackling the problem of mothers dying during childbirth and infant mortality met on tribal land to hear directly from Indigenous people suffering some of the largest disparities.
Betty Ellison-Harpole, beloved youth educator, Black leader, dies at 85
Ellison-Harpole was a Minneapolis Public Schools teacher and organizer in the community and in local churches.
University of Minnesota public health professors and researchers say abortion access is a racial justice issue
The article uses history and statistics to argue that the legal status of abortion weighs most heavily on people of color who face systemic racism that impacts their reproductive rights.
Black Business Week kicks off in Minneapolis
City works to extend support to Black entrepreneurs, aspiring owners.
Hearing on Muslim cemetery in south metro draws crowd
More than 100 people of varying faiths and ethnicities packed a south metro township hall Monday evening to discuss a cemetery that people of Muslim…
More Twin Cities communities, schools celebrate Juneteenth
The 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and its aftermath nationwide highlighted the need for a sharper focus on equity, and elected leaders say recognizing Juneteenth is a step toward achieving that.
Moms turn to each other to heal after losing kids to gun violence
"The shooting comes and goes, but for the victim's families it's a lifetime sentence," says LaTanya Black, founder of the group Mothers Against Community Gun Violence.
'Grandma' Ruth Knelman, one of the oldest Minnesotans, dies at 111
Knelman spent years volunteering as an early childhood education reader at Temple Israel and Jefferson Community School in Minneapolis.
Children's Minnesota forms health equity collective
The Children's Minnesota health system launched a new program Wednesday to address health disparities among Minnesota families. The Collective for Community Health will work with…
In communities of color, scathing MPD report is not a surprise
Finally, some say, there is recognition of what they have recognized for decades.
Minnesota travelers mixed on lifting of mask mandate
Many travelers still chose to keep their noses and mouths covered, as recommended by the CDC.
Physician, researcher leads new state Health Equity Bureau
Launched last month, it will lead the state Department of Public Health's equity initiatives and solicit community input on those efforts.
Amir Locke case highlights reality for Black gun owners
They say they face a double standard when legally carrying their weapons.
Far from war, Ukraine refugees welcomed in Pelican Rapids
Residents in and around the western Minnesota city have rolled out the red carpet for a family that fled Chernihiv, a city close to the Russian border that faced severe damage.
New director takes the helm of St. Paul's Office of Neighborhood Safety
The director of the newly minted St. Paul Office of Neighborhood Safety stepped into her new role aiming to expand community-first safety initiatives.Brooke Blakey, a…
Hennepin commissioner calls on HCMC to fire employees over racist photos
In an interview Thursday, Hennepin Healthcare leaders said they're implementing new training to change the organization's culture. "We wish there was a playbook," said the CEO.
HCMC promised to change. Then came the blackface photos
Some employees say the response will test leadership's commitment to change, following a series of incidents that have exacerbated racial tensions inside the hospital system.
Town & Country rejects St. Thomas bid for land for athletics expansion
St. Thomas is continuing to explore other options for its athletics program, beginning with an ice hockey arena, after the country club's board turned down the $61.4 million offer.
Carter proposes rent control exemption for new housing in St. Paul
The first stakeholder meeting on the policy that will impact St. Paul in the spring was held Tuesday.
St. Thomas looking at Town & Country Club land for expansion
The Tommies are in search of a site for an ice hockey facility befitting their Division I classification and have inquired about the availability of the golf course, the oldest country club in Minnesota.
St. Paul Mayor Carter forms 41-member rent-control stakeholder group
The committee includes renters, landlords, homeowners and policy experts.
St. Paul launches foreclosure prevention program
Homeowners experiencing hard times receive up to $35,000 in aid.
The kids of St. Paul's Harmony strings are taking the stage once more
The young performers have shown up early to school to practice three days a week.
St. Paul immigrants found water bottle company to fight water crisis, in Africa and worldwide
Didómi hopes capture some of the reusable water bottle market while helping thousands globally.
Delma Francis, former Star Tribune journalist, dies at 68
The Lancaster, Ky., native was a veteran journalist who spent years as a reporter and editor in multiple states, and as a mentor to young Black journalists.
St. Paul approves plan for Point Douglas Regional Trail
Cyclists would have an off-highway route along the Mississippi River Trail for the first time.
New units by Hmong developer to open on St. Paul's East Side
The Parkway Apartments will include 60 units of deeply affordable and Section 8 eligible housing.
