Minnesota school board elections face a coordinated push by critics of Critical Race Theory, vaccines and masks

Conservative media outlets and thinktanks have ignited a groundswell of fear and anger about Critical Race Theory, vaccines and mask mandates in schools. In Minnesota, these concerns have been ignited in private Facebook groups and at rallies around the state. With school board elections on the horizon, progressive candidates have tried to push back on misinformation while elevating their desires for inclusive school environments.

Unpacking What Voters Need to Know About the Rent Control City Questions in Minneapolis and Saint Paul

Meet the players behind the two Twin Cities’ not-so-twin rent control policies, the myths, what happens if they pass (or don’t) and the research behind it all.

Meet Ayan Omar – a Somali American Educator Using Literature to Mentor Refugee Youth

Ayan Omar (or, Ms. Omar as her students call her) is a St. Cloud resident, writer and Somali American English teacher. She is also a wife, mother and TEDx speaker who migrated to the U.S. in 1993 as a Somali refugee. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, Ayan became a language arts teacher. She has lived in St. Cloud since 2005.

In this interview, Ayan talks about her experiences growing up in the South and in Minnesota, and the different experiences of Somalis in Minneapolis versus in St. Cloud. Ayan also talks about the unique ways Somali refugees experience racism, and the need for healing justice for Somalis, Muslims, and Black communities.