Monthly Archives: August 2025| Mshale
Ian Oundo, seen here speaking at an event on June 5, 2025, has launched his campaign to be the next state Senator for District 35 which includes the Twin Cities suburbs of Coon Rapids and Anoka. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard OogaWith Democrats enjoying a one seat majority in the Minnesota Senate, a former DFL […] The post Former DFL staffer launches bid for Minnesota Senate appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
Zar Electrik, a Franco-Moroccan trio, will make their Minnesota debut at the Cedar in Minneapolis on Sept. 24, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Zar ElectrikZār Electrik will climb The Cedar Cultural Center’s stage steps September 24th and give their Minneapolis audience something new, something different, and something very needed—a musical respite from the political and cultural […] The post Zār Electrik will make Minnesota debut at the Cedar this fall appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
Minnesota Senator Omar Fateh speaks during a press conference on July 10, 2025 at the Sabathani food shelf in his district opposing President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” The state Democratic Party on Aug. 21, 2025 revoked the party’s endorsement of his mayoral candidacy following a successful challenge from Mayor Jacob Frey. Mshale Staff Photo by […] The post ‘Fateh is getting screwed’: Leaders react angrily as state Democrats revoke endorsement appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
Jeff Johnson, executive director of Can Do Canines, testifies with Tucker, a 3-year-old service dog in training, during the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee Feb. 26. Johnson testified in support of a bill sponsored by Rep. Cedrick Frazier, seated right, that would modify service dog accommodations in housing such as rentals. Photo: Andrew Von […] The post State lawmaker launches bid for Hennepin County Attorney appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar joined state and local leaders at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for new affordable housing for homeless U.S. Military veterans in Robbinsdale, Minnesota on Thursday, August 14, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Tom GitaaU.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and local officials on Thursday celebrated the successful completion of a $2 million project to convert […] The post Officials cut the ribbon on veteran housing in Robbinsdale appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
Bernard Omari Ayako of Spring Park, Minnesota died at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 5, 2025.It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Bernard Omari Ayako, age 47, on August 5, 2025. Bernard was born on December 31, 1977, in Nyacheki Ward, Riomoro Sub-location, Kisii County, Kenya, to […] The post Death announcement of Bernard Omari Ayako appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
Former Brooklyn Park City Council member Xp Lee has won the Democratic primary to fill the seat formerly held by the late Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman.| Mshale
Brooklyn Park on Friday celebrated its annual Black History Month Showcase with Jerome Richardson of Global Teen Activists giving the keynote address.| Mshale
Brooklyn Park City Clerk Devin Montero swears in Hollies Winston as the mayor of the city of Brooklyn Park and the city’s first Black mayor, while his wife Latrice holds the bible, on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the City Council chambers. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard OogaHollies Winston, the businessman that successfully sold a […]| Mshale
Monthly Archives: May 2025| Mshale
Rep. Ilhan Omar, left in mask and her daughter Isra, talk to a delegate during the DFL Fifth Congressional District endorsement convention on Saturday, May 7, 2022 where she won the endorsement in her reelection bid. Photo: Jasmine Webber/MshaleThe Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) has once again endorsed Rep. Ilhan Omar as she seeks re-election to represent […]| Mshale
Monthly Archives: May 2024| Mshale
Funeral services for former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.| Mshale
Members of the Minnesota chapter of Kenyan Women in the United States (KWITU) dance to “Ekio Nkiekio” by Mcubamba Robbah as they welcome guests during the final day of the national organization’s annual reunion and 10-year celebration at the InterContinental Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by […] The post Glamorous gala marks conclusion of KWITU’s 10th annual reunion appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
On the first full day of the Kenyan Women in the United States (KWITU) annual reunion and 10-year celebration in St. Paul, Minnesota on Friday, the women came decked in their finest African attire like these two KWITU members from New York. Mshale Staff Photo by Cynthia SimbaThe largest organization of Kenyan women in North […] The post KWITU kicks off 3-day convention in Minnesota to celebrate 10th anniversary appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
Afrocontigbo, a Little Africa festival mainstay, perform at this year’s edition on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025 in St. Paul, Minn. Mshale Staff Photo by Cynthia SimbaThe Little Africa festival returned to St. Paul for the 11th year, as members from African communities came to showcase their cultures and support their businesses. “It means a lot […] The post Little Africa festival still going strong after 11 years appeared first on Mshale.| Mshale
Kenyan presidential candidate Dr. Fred Matiang'i brought his diaspora campaign roadshow to Minnesota when he addressed over 1,000 Kenyans on Sunday.| Mshale
The U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Summit will be held on August 1, 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is being hosted by Minnesota Africans United.| Mshale
The 2024 Minnesota primary elections brought significant attention to the City Council races in Brooklyn Park’s Central Ward and Brooklyn Center. The outcomes of...| Mshale
Tag: Mwanyagetinge| Mshale
Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley on Tuesday became the first Kenyan-born person elected to a state legislature in the U.S. after winning a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.| Mshale
Wynfred Russell, born and raised in Liberia, was sworn in last night to become the first black Brooklyn Park city council member. He is a former instructor at the University of Minnesota.| Mshale
Monthly Archives: November 2024| Mshale
Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mshale Reporter| Mshale
The first Black women elected to the Minnesota Senate with U.S. District Court Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright, second left, moments after the judge administered the ceremonial oath of office for them to take their seats on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. From left is Zaynab Mohamed, Clare Oumou Verbeten and Erin Maye Quade. Mshale Staff Photo […]| Mshale
Monthly Archives: January 2023| Mshale
Monthly Archives: July 2025| Mshale
The largest gathering of Kenyan women in the diaspora (KWITU) is set to take place in Minnesota’s Twin Cities on August for their 10th anniversary reunion.| Mshale
The immigrant experience has always been central to the story of America, according to Charlie Cogan, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Africa.| Mshale
Four candidates have filed to run in the special election to fill the Minnesota House seat left vacant after the assassination of Melissa Hortman.| Mshale
Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh won the Democratic party endorsement for Mayor of Minneapolis defeating incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey. If elected he will be the city's first Muslim mayor.| Mshale
African immigrants have been urged to push their elected officials for more mental health resources as by not doing so they risk being left out.| Mshale
Sinkane kicked off the 2025 Summer at The Cedar free outdoor music series at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. The series runs through August 20.| Mshale
Black Americans continue to face serious challenges in saving for retirement, even as their incomes grow, according to a new report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.| Mshale
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar has criticized President Donald Trumps Big Beautiful Bill as harmful and immoral. She was speaking at a press conference in Minneapolis.| Mshale
Many Liberians where English is the official language have taken offense after Trump praises their president’s English during a meeting at the White House.| Mshale
Monthly Archives: April 2025| Mshale
Tag: Keith Ellison| Mshale
Tag: Huldah Hiltsley| Mshale
A federally funded study exploring why Black babies in Detroit are disproportionately born prematurely has been abruptly terminated by the NIH.| Mshale
Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant will receive the National Newspaper Publishers Association's prestigious 2025 Newsmaker of the Year Award on June 27.| Mshale
Monthly Archives: June 2025| Mshale
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will not invite President Trump to its convention this year, marking the first time a sitting president has not been invited in the organization's 116 year history.| Mshale
In more than 2,000 cities and towns nationwide, tens of thousands of Americans turned out Saturday to protest Donald Trump’s authoritarian leadership.| Mshale
Minnesota State Rep. Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley was forced to evacuate her home Saturday following the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband.| Mshale
NiJaree Canady has become the first college softball player to sign a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal worth more than $1 million.| Mshale
Senegalese born Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikTok personality with millions of followers , has left the U.S. after being detained by ICE.| Mshale
Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Sudan are among the 12 countries that Trump has placed a travel ban on.| Mshale
Little Free Library and Books For Africa, two nonprofits based in Minnesota, have announced a collaboration to send 50,000 books to Kenya.| Mshale
President Cyril Ramaphosa at a White House meeting with President Donald Trump refuted claims that white farmers were being systematically killed.| Mshale
House Republicans have included in President Trump’s big priority bill a 5% excise tax on remittance transfers by green card holders and nonimmigrant visa holders.| Mshale
Anti-DEI executive orders from the Trump administration are threatening the gains made by Black-owned businesses as business optimism declines.| Mshale
Rwanda says it is talking with the Trump administration about accepting deportees from the United States similar to a deal it had with the UK.| Mshale
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. Photo: Ben Curtis/APWhile President Donald Trump and his allies at the Heritage Foundation work to gut diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across America, a dangerous narrative continues to spread—that […]| Mshale
The Diversity Visa Lottery 2026 results will be announced on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The program, popularly known as the Green Card lottery, makes 55,000 immigrant visas available each year.| Mshale
The Brooklyn Park City Council will have a female majority when two new members take the oath of office in January after two newcomers, both women, won their elections on Tuesday.| Mshale
Minnesota state Senator Susan Pha, who represents District 38, presents her election certificate to Justice Natalie E. Hudson of the Minnesota Supreme Court when the 93rd Minnesota Legislature convened to take the oath of office. Sen. Pha is the second Hmong woman in state history elected to the Minnesota Senate. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard […]| Mshale
The Cedar in Minneapolis has unveiled its outdoor summer schedule of free concert shows which includes two African infused bands - Sinkane and Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet.| Mshale
The 40-day Targetfast, that has seen a boycott of Target stores by Black consumers, has left the chain reeling as foot traffic plummets and its stock hits a five-year low.| Mshale
Over 700 international students in the United States have had their student visas revoked with no explanation by the Trump administration.| Mshale
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston, who is on his third year of his first term, delivered his State of the City Address on Tuesday.| Mshale
Hennepin County Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde and Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston were joined by elected leaders and city staff in the groundbreaking of the new $10 million Brooklyn Park Teen Center on Monday, April 7, 2025. The center is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard OogaThe city […]| Mshale
You will need Real ID to fly starting May 7, 2025 as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be enforcing the requirement.| Mshale
A civil rights forum at Capitol Hill on Tuesday confronted Trump over his assault on diversity and inclusion as it defended it importance.| Mshale
Les Égarés The quartet of Vincent Peirani, Ballaké Sissoko, Emile Parisien and Vincent Segal delivered their debut performance in Minneapolis at the Cedar.| Mshale
Nadia Mohamed, the first Somali-American elected to the City of St. Louis Park City Council, explains how Ranked Choice Voting will work in the Minneapolis soecial election on August 11.| Mshale
Edwin Okong'o - Mshale Contributing Editor| Mshale
These are the 10 airports to avoid if you are undocumented or do not have legal status according to Ifeoma Odunlami, an immigration attorney.| Mshale
The construction of Little Africa Plaza in St. Paul, Minnesota is now complete, just over a year after African Economic Development Solutions broke ground on the project.| Mshale
South African film The Last Ranger has been nominated for an Oscar in the Annual Awards and six Black actors have also received nominations.| Mshale
Mshale is among 13 local Minnesota news organizations that will share $520,000 in grants from Press Forward Minnesota to help boost coverage of their communities.| Mshale
Veteran journalist Michele Norris, a Minnesota native, keynoted the 35th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast in Minneapolis.| Mshale
Signups for Obamacare on Minnesota’s official health insurance marketplace, MNsure, hit a record 167,163 people for coverage in 2025.| Mshale
Here are MLK Day events for 2025 in Minnesota that Mshale staff has put together, most of them free. MLK Day falls on Inauguration Day this year.| Mshale
The deadline to sign up for Obamacare for coverage in 2025 is January 15. Coverage will begin on February 1.| Mshale
Amanda Cheng Xiong was on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025 sworn-in as Brooklyn Park's youngest city council member. She was born and raised in the city by her Hmong parents.| Mshale
Africa remembers former President Jimmy Carter as the first U.S. president to make a state visit to sub-Saharan Africa.| Mshale
Mariama Bassama, left, is helped with her hood by Charlotte Pandraud before the Commencement Ceremony for Hult International Business School in Boston. Photo: Scott Eisen/APCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are advising international students to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, over concerns that he might […]| Mshale
General Mills and the United Negro College Fund have announced award-winning journalist Michele Norris as the keynote for the 2025 MLK Breakfast.| Mshale
The Minnesota Department of Commerce is asking the public to make a new year resolution of being a scam spotter in 2025 as scams increase.| Mshale
Jasmine Webber, Mshale Photojournalist| Mshale
State Sen. Omar Fateh kicked off his campaign for mayor of Minneapolis on Saturday as he seeks to unseat Mayor Jacob Frey.| Mshale
Participants line up for a 5K run during the Brooklyn Center Community Health Fair on Aug. 13, 2022. Mshale Staff Photo by Panashe Matemba-MutasaBrooklyn Center is seeking community members to serve on the Cultural and Public Arts Commission and the Sister Cities Commission. Cultural and Public Arts commissioners get to advise the city on beautification […]| Mshale
State Sen. Omar Fateh, the first Somali American and first Muslim to serve in the Minnesota Senate, announced his bid for Minneapolis Mayor on Monday at City Hall. Minneapolis has only elected a Black mayor once before – in 1993 when Sharon Sayles Belton won and served two terms. Sen. Fateh, a son of Somali […]| Mshale
Hudda Ibrahim on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 became the first Black person and Somali American to serve on the St. Cloud City Council.| Mshale
A few weeks before he leaves office, President Biden visited Angola and pledged continued U.S. support for Africa. The trip had been postponed due to Hurricane Milton.| Mshale
Kenya's ambassador to the United States, David Kerich, joined other Kenyans at a gala in Minnesota to celebrate Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley's election victory| Mshale
Deqa Dhalac poses near her home Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in South Portland, Maine. On Monday Dhalac, who fled Mogadishu 31 years ago, became the first Somali-American mayor in the United States. Photo: Robert F. Bukaty/APPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Deqa Dhalac is the first Somali immigrant to become the mayor of a U.S. city, but […]| Mshale
Today, August 28, 2024 is the 61st anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech that he delivered before 250,000 people in Washington, D.C.| Mshale
Kenyan-born Yusuf Haji earned his ticket to the Nov. 5 general election for a seat on the Dakota County Board of Commissioners after being among the top two vote-getters.| Mshale
Kenyan-born Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley defeated former Brooklyn Park City Council member Wynfred Russell to clinch the Democratic party nomination.| Mshale
Teshite Wako, center, at the election night party for Minnesota House of Representatives District 38A candidate Huldah Hiltsley, was the top vote getter in the Brooklyn Park City Council Central Ward primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. On his left looking on are Ms. Hiltsley, who won her primary and Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies […]| Mshale
