Category: Community
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…
US Department of Interior Hosts California Listening Sessions on Federal Indian Boarding Schools
Riverside, CA — In early August, the U.S. Department of Interior hosted more “Road to Healing” listening sessions on federal Indian boarding schools with two stops in California, in both Rohnert Park and Riverside. The stops were the seventh and eighth in a tour across…
Minneapolis Official Speaks Out About ‘Corruption’ Lack of Gov’t Oversight and ‘Useless’ City Council
Minneapolis, MN — As discussions over the newly instituted “strong mayor” system in Minneapolis are back in the news, local politicians, policy aides, activists, and pundits have been sharing their perspectives on the changeover. A month ago, Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley sat down…
‘We Won the Move!’ Minneapolis Council Member Celebrates After Community Thwarts Plans For Old 3rd Precinct Site
Minneapolis, MN — Results from the recent listening sessions hosted by the the City of Minneapolis and a consulting firm about the future location of the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct that was torched after George Floyd was murdered by former 3rd Precinct officer Derek Chauvin…
‘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…
US Dept. of Interior Continues Boarding School Listening Sessions, Visits Minnesota
Onamia, MN — On June 3, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe hosted the U.S. Department of Interior’s seventh “Road to Healing” session in Onamia, Minnesota. At the federal government’s year-long listening session, survivors of federal Indian boarding schools are invited to share their experiences…
‘Stop Cop City’ Week of Action Day 2: Rematriating Mvskoke Land; Hardcore Benefit Show
Stone Mountain, GA — Mikko Chebon Kernell is a spiritual leader of the Muscogee Creek people. The Muscogee Creek people’s involvement in the “Stop Cop City” movement represents their return to ancestral homelands 300 years after they were violently removed through the genocidal process of…
Three Atlanta Activists Arrested, Home Raided Over Bail Fund
Atlanta, GA — Around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, three members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund were arrested during a raid by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Atlanta Police Department and charged with money laundering and charity fraud.
Marlon Kautz, Savannah Patterson, and…
Tale of the City: Gentrification in London – Part 1
London, England — Gentrification has transformed the urban landscape of London’s Southwark Borough over the last decade. In the Elephant and Castle area, a district known for its squatting history, community networks and strong counterculture background, activists and political groups are now trying to reconnect…
Ten Years After Terrance and Ivan Killed by Minneapolis Police
Minneapolis, MN — On May 10, 2013, Minneapolis Police killed two people in the span of 30 minutes. Terrance ‘Mookie Moe’ Franklin, 22, was hunted, cornered and gunned down with ten shots, including five bullets to the head. Thirty minutes later, Ivan Romero-Oliveras, 24, was…
Minnesota ‘Driver’s Licenses For All’ Bill a National Model For Data Privacy Protections, Advocates Say
An attorney who worked with Minnesota Democrats to craft the new ‘Driver’s Licenses For All’ bill, recently signed into law, spoke to Unicorn Riot about the bill’s privacy provisions that reportedly prevent driver data from being shared with the feds.
Photo of Veena Iyer courtesy…
Christian Gives Water, Dates to Fasting Muslims in Gaza During Ramadan
Gaza City, Palestine — For the fifth consecutive year, Ehab Ayyad passes out water and dates to cars during evening rush hour in the month of Ramadan. Standing at busy intersections in Gaza City in the besieged Gaza Strip, Ayyad, a Christian, welcomes fasting Muslims…
Exclusive Interview with French Media Collective Cerveaux non Disponibles
As media organizations continue to consolidate and the need for independent media grows, Cerveaux non Disponibles (CND) is filling an important role in France. Cerveaux non Disponibles — “Unavailable Brains” — is a radical independent media collective based in France.
CND’s popularity soared as the…
Missing Minneapolis Indigenous Woman, Alexis White Hawk-Ruiz, Has Been Found Deceased
Minneapolis, MN – About 145 days after going missing, the family of Alexis White Hawk-Ruiz announced that she has unfortunately been found deceased. Alexis disappeared after leaving her North Minneapolis house the night of November 16, 2022, five days before her 21st birthday.
During a…
Minneapolis March Connects Roof Depot Demolition Resistance to the Atlanta Forest
Minneapolis, MN – Two weeks before a planned national week of action in Atlanta against ‘Cop City’ and a week before slated construction is about to begin in the demolition of the Roof Depot EPA Superfund site in Minneapolis, a protest in East Phillips brought…
Jury Convicts Robert West for his Role in Dismembering Ricky Balsimo
Grand Marais, MN – For the grisly murder of Ricky Balsimo, Robert Thomas West was found guilty on Feb. 8, 2023, of Accomplice After the Fact to Felony Murder in the 2nd degree and aiding an offender in dismembering and disposing of Balsimo’s dead body…
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…
Jordan Peterson’s Visit to Minneapolis Draws Criticism
Minneapolis, MN – Canadian psychologist and celebrated right-wing author Jordan B. Peterson is set to be in Minneapolis speaking at the State Theatre on Feb. 7 and 8 for performances on a book tour. While his broader white male audience may call Peterson a motivational…
US Department of Interior Halfway through “Road to Healing” Tour
Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona — On Friday, Jan. 20, the United States Department of Interior hosted a fourth community listening session on its year-long “Road to Healing” tour. The tour is a result of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative launched by U.S. Secretary…
Mississippi Police Arrest Protesters Seeking Transparency in Police Killing of Teenager
Gulfport, MS – In Oct. 2022, Mississippi police fatally shot fifteen-year-old Jaheim McMillan in the head outside of a Family Dollar. Since the incident, protests demanding video footage, accountability, and justice have been ongoing. In the leadup to a larger planned Feb. 4 “Arrest My…