A Glimpse at the Legendary Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati — Mini-Doc
Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati, the deeply revered Black scholarly giant in Minnesota, is the central figure of UR's latest mini-documentary.
Category: Arts & Culture
Pro-Palestine Festival Artists Boycott Israel-Linked Company
Musicians speaking out against Israel has become a mainstream topic as artists are using famous festival stages to express their opposition against the ongoing genocide. Consequences followed swiftly, with Manchester’s RADAR cancelling Bob Vylan’s performance and Kneecap facing legal action after Glanstonbury. In the electronic…
Award-Winning Artist Javaka Steptoe Centers Community on Visit to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN — Centering Black youth and community, award-winning author and illustrator Javaka Steptoe recently visited Minneapolis to share his joy in art and children’s literature. Recruited by educator Titilayo Bediako, the founder of youth-serving non-profit WE WIN Institute, Steptoe presented at a community event…
Ramadan Among the Rubble in Gaza: A Collection of Stories
Gaza, Palestine — For Palestinians in the bombarded Gaza Strip, the holy month of Ramadan was stained by genocidal acts perpetrated by Israeli forces for the second year in a row. In attempts to understand those continuing to practice their faith whilst surviving horrors, Unicorn…
Despite Salt Lake’s Destruction of Police Brutality Murals, Families Carry On Their Legacy
Salt Lake City, UT – When Rae Duckworth got an email from the city notifying them that they would soon lose access to the space known as the Fleet Block murals, they knew they had to act. So the day before the city was set…
Groundbreaking for a Minneapolis Youth-Serving Community Staple
Minneapolis, MN — For nearly three decades, the educational nonprofit WE WIN Institute has been nomadic, serving youth in Minneapolis out of rented spaces. But that era is coming to a close — on November 19, 2024, WE WIN held a groundbreaking event for their…
Unveiling the Politics of Hindutva: A Review of ‘Parivaar: A Celebration of Community as Family’
In an increasingly interconnected world, the rise of far-right ideologies is not confined by borders. One such ideology is “Hindutva,” a form of Brahminical supremacy originating in India, propagated by the paramilitary organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which has been making its presence felt globally.…
Artist EB Lewis Illustrates Social Injustice and Children’s Books
“I’m documenting and making statements about our society, social injustice.” That’s the mission that drives E.B. Lewis, an award winning illustrator, artist, visual storyteller, educator and father of three from Philadelphia. He’s taught for nearly four decades, has illustrated over 70 books for children, and…
Students Make Demands After Philly University of the Arts Moves to Close
Philadelphia, PA — Center City’s premiere arts university abruptly announced it’s shutting its doors, sending the entire community scrambling. Its accreditation was also pulled amid claims that a multi-million dollar budget gap had suddenly emerged. Some students assembled on the morning of June 4 to…
Inside Enclave Rabia Caracol — An Anarchist Community Center and Cafe in Tijuana, Mexico
Tijuana, Mexico — In the heart of downtown Tijuana, less than a kilometer from the San Yisidro Port of Entry and blocks away from the most popular nightlife and tourist areas of the city, migrants rest on the stairs of a café while passersby lean…
Indigenous Writer Gord Hill on Resistance Art History
British Columbia, Canada — Renowned Kwakwaka’wakw artist, author, and political activist Gord Hill recently spoke at the University of Victoria’s (UVIC) Faculty of Fine Arts in Victoria for its annual Lehan Family Activism & the Arts Lecture covering the intersection of art and activism. Hill…
Syrians Facing Expulsions at Home and Abroad
Over the last two years, the persecution of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has increased to terrifying levels. Whether due to violent rhetoric from the state or political parties, or direct assaults by petty militiamen, the safety of all Syrians in Lebanon is imperiled.
With mainstream…
From Turtle Island to Palestine: Denver Commemorates Nakba
Denver, CO — On Wednesday evening, the local Indigenous community hosted a “healing event” at the Auraria Campus pro-Palestine solidarity encampment. According to a press release for the event, in tandem with the commemoration, the organizers “offer[ed] solidarity and healing for the Palestinian community” and…
Richmond Artist Reacts to Ashe Mural Vandalism as Suspect Arrested
On Oct. 20, 2021, two members of the American neo-Nazi organization Patriot Front filmed themselves vandalizing a mural of African-American tennis giant Arthur Ashe in Richmond, VA. The following year, Unicorn Riot published leaked video from within the organization which identified the perpetrators as Nathaniel…
Democratic Republic of Congo – The Genocide That Implicates Us All
Heavy fighting erupted in 2023 between the Congolese Army and several armed groups, most notably the M23 militia, escalating an already disastrous situation. Thousands have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. At present, there are 7.1 million displaced people in the Democratic…
‘Zaghrouda’ in the Midst of the Sudan War
Since April 15, 2023 war has been raging across Sudan — a war waged by two generals who formerly collaborated to crush the December Revolution, which started in late 2018. Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, Head of the Sudanese Army (SAF), has fought a brutal campaign against the…
Resisting Starvation in Gaza
As the genocidal campaign in Gaza enters its sixth month, Israel’s use of forced starvation as a tactic is escalating. First through a total siege, then by preventing the delivery of aid, and most recently by slaughtering aid seekers in the now-infamous Flour Massacres. Forced…
Black History Smashfest Brings Together Black Gamers
A small but unprecedented event occurred on the last weekend of 2024's Black History Month when nearly 20 Black gamers converged together in Minneapolis for the state's first ever Black-only gaming session centered on Super Smash Bros.
Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Relatives Remembered
On any given month in the past decade, a range of 27 to 54 Indigenous women and girls are listed as missing in Minnesota. To raise awareness of this crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, two-spirit people and relatives (MMIW/R), activists in Minnesota use Valentine's Day, February 14, to hold events, along with May 5 being the official MMIW day.
