Category: Arts & Culture
Black Storytellers Festival Continues with Heavy Hearts as Matriarch Passes
Minneapolis, MN — The thirty third iteration of the Black Master Storytellers Festival continued this year with heavy hearts after losing two master storytellers, including the matriarch of the festival, in 2023. Six months ago in March, Mrs. Beverly Cottman passed while visiting Egypt and…
‘Makeba’ – A Viral TikTok Trend Pays Homage to Mama Africa
Whether you use TikTok or Instagram Reels, if you’ve been doom scrolling the last eight weeks, chances are you’ve heard the catchy “Can I get a ooh wee?” chorus of the song “Makeba,” a pop dance release by the French singer Jain. The meme, which…
Bombed Houses in Gaza Transformed by Palestinian Calligraphy Artist
Palestinian calligraphy artist, Ayman Al-Husari, transforms Gaza’s war-damaged buildings into magical artistic creations in a move aimed at boosting people’s morale and overcoming the remnants of Israeli bombing raids on the Gaza Strip. “We love life,” Al-Husari said, “we have destruction, but this is not…
Shipwrecked Synthesizers: How Electronic Music Came to Cabo Verde
The archipelago of Cabo Verde had already been colonized by the Portuguese for hundreds of years in 1968 when a ship was discovered marooned on the São Nicolau island. To the surprise of local villagers in Cachaço, the ship was stranded eight kilometers from any…
‘The Neighborhood’s Communication Department’ — Confluence Studio’s Print Shop
Minneapolis, MN — “We’re trying to be the neighborhood’s communication department” said Duaba, Confluence Studio’s co-founder, while standing inside a shipping container-turned print shop in South Minneapolis. “We worked with neighbors,” said Confluence’s other co-founder Sam, “to collaboratively construct this idea of what a newsroom…
The Tale of the City: Gentrification in London – Part 2
‘The Guns of Brixton’ sung by the Clash in 1979 made Brixton synonymous with resistance, anti-oppression, and anti-racism beyond the borders of the United Kingdom. The song presaged the riots of 1981 which rose Brixton into a symbol even as they spread all over England*…
MayDay Festivities Return to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN — After three years on hiatus, the MayDay parade and ceremony returned to South Minneapolis. On Sunday, May 7, 2023, thousands of people filled Bloomington Avenue to watch the Southside Battletrain lead the parade into Powderhorn Park where a ceremony occurred.
Unicorn Riot…
Rave Against the Machine: How One Rave Promoter Stood Up to the DEA and Won
It Began with a Raid
“Don’t come to the venue,” said one of the Brunet brothers to Disco Donnie on a clandestine phone call. Normally, Donnie, who is easily recognizable by his crazy outfits, would have already been at his party, he explained to me…
Revolution in Every Country Comic Series: Episode 3 – Lebanon: On the Necessity of Intersectionality
Lebanon — Starting on October 17, 2019, an unprecedented revolutionary wave swept through Lebanon which radically altered the political, social, and psychological landscape of the country and its peoples. Although few key demands were met and the movements were crushed by numerous forces, the uprisings…
‘Colorful Neighborhood’ in Gaza Celebrates Ramadan with Vibrant Colors
Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine — Palestinians celebrating the holy month of Ramadan 2023 are greeted by colorful art-filled walls lining the streets and corridors down some of the oldest lanes of the ‘old city’ in the Gaza Strip.
Walls bear a bright, artistic, colorful painting…
Dancing Revolution: How ’90s Protests Used Rave Culture to Reclaim the Streets
Thousands gathered on May 16, 1998 in Birmingham’s famous Bullring district, located in the city center. They were instructed to meet by the New Street Station subway stop and make their way towards the Bullring’s roundabout. The mood soon became nothing short of intoxicating as…
Indigenous People Demonstrate at Super Bowl Demanding Kansas City Drop its Team Name ‘Chiefs’
Glendale, AZ – On Sunday, Feb. 12, a group of nearly 100 people marched to one of the entrances of State Farm Stadium, where Super Bowl LVII was hosted, to demand that the Kansas City professional football team drop its team name, the Chiefs, and its…
Dakota 38+2 Run Commemorates Hanging of Dakota Ancestors
St. Paul, MN – On Dec. 25, 2022, organizers of the Dakota 38+2 run gathered around a “pétu wakȟaŋ, sacred fire” at Fort Snelling to start the 71-mile relay non-stop run to Mankato.
The Dakota 38+2 Run is a way for Indigenous Nations in Minnesota…
Ancient Antiquities Discovered in Palestine’s Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip, Palestine – Two major discoveries in 2022 showcase thousands of years of Arab existence on Palestinian lands.
A 4,500-year-old statue of the Canaanite goddess Anat and a 1,500-year-old tiled mosaic floor were both separately found last year in the Gaza Strip, a coastal…
Surfing Santas in Gaza Welcome a New Year of ‘Prosperity and Happiness’
Gaza Strip, Palestine – Young people dressed as Santa Claus and put on a watershow on the seashore of Gaza City to the mark the new year of 2023. Surfers dressed in red were towed by speedboats off the Gaza coast and said they were…
Previously Disavowed ex-Proud Boy DJ Set to Perform at Cowboy Jack’s
Apple Valley, MN – Two years after participating in hate crimes in D.C. along with a mob of violent Proud Boy gang members and then being disavowed by the local music community, Corey Nielson, aka DJ Mister Black, was once again set to DJ in…
Revolution in Every Country Comic Series: Episode 2 – Sudan: Building Power from Below
Four years into the Sudanese Revolution, we take an intimate look into how Resistance Committees are working to form new social compacts that overturn the old order.
