Toddrick Barnette is in charge of the Office of Community Safety which oversees the Minneapolis Police, Fire, Emergency Management, 911 and Neighborhood Safety departments. The Minneapolis City Council voted 7–6 on Thursday to reject Toddrick Barnette for a second term as Community Safety Commissioner. Mayor Jacob Frey quickly announced he would veto the decision and keep Barnette in his cabinet. “ We can't just spend another year doing a search, another year getting someone

Designed by Terresa Hardaway of Blackbird Revolt, the new Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (MMBWG) logo honors the lives of Black women and girls who have been lost or harmed and centers their stories in ongoing efforts to address systemic violence, support families and push for lasting change across the state.

Civil rights leaders are demanding accountability from Saint Paul Police and Mayor Her following the wrongful arrest of Emily Phillips who was detained while demonstrating against ICE near Cities Church on Easter. Charges were dropped by Monday morning.

Marcus Mitchell (left) was blinded in his left eye after being shot at Standing Rock as he stood to defend sacred water. Sophia Wilansky's (right) arm was blown apart when she was fired on by law enforcement while peacefully protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock. Nine years after the Standing Rock protests, two Water Protectors critically injured by law enforcement are awaiting decisions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in appeals challen

Philip Vance has been in prison for 22 years, serving a life sentence for a murder he maintains he did not commit. Despite no physical DNA evidence linking him to the crime, Vance was convicted based on testimony of several jailhouse informants who have since recanted.  On March 24, Dakota County Judge Michael Mayer denied Philip Vance's fifth petition for post-conviction relief, a legal step that would have allowed new testimony and evidence to be examined in court. Miss Nik

As pressure builds on Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to decide whether to bring charges in the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the candidates seeking to replace her are signaling how they would handle the cases if elected.

Gov. Tim Walz has signed legislation, repealing the state’s recognition of César Chávez Day on March 31 and replaced it with Farmworkers Day. This action shifts focus away from an individual figure and toward the collective contributions of farmworkers, many of whom continue to face exploitation and injustice.

As Democrats in Minnesota Senate District 65 prepare for their endorsing convention on Sunday, March 29, questions about racial equity, transparency, and political influence in labor union endorsements are intensifying in one of the state’s most diverse districts.

The proposed Minnesota Civil Remedies Act (MNCRA) would end qualified immunity and create a new state-level cause of action allowing individuals to sue government employees who violate their constitutional rights.

Advocates say the treatment of Cornelius Jackson reflects deeper accountability gaps within Minnesota’s prison system, alleging that officials at Faribault Correctional Facility imposed punishment without evidence, failed to follow safety policies, and ignored repeated outreach from families.

Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega (DFL-Saint Paul), Vice Chair of the House Legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, introduced legislation to repeal César Chávez Day. The proposal follows a New York Times investigation into the sexual abuse and predatory behavior by Chávez against young women, including Dolores Huerta, the co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association in the 1960s. Minnesota lawmakers and community leaders are moving with urgency to repe

Through Seeds Worth Sowing, Zedé Harut is building what she calls a “community welfare system,” a hyperlocal network designed to provide fast, stigma-free support and long-term stability in moments when traditional institutions fall short.

The Minneapolis police officer that shot and killed 22-year-old Amir Locke during a no-knock raid in 2022 is now a leader within the Minneapolis Police Department’s new Health & Wellness Division.

As Minneapolis continues to grapple with the legacy of the police murder of George Floyd and ongoing calls for accountability, a group of city leaders is pushing back against a proposed $40 million investment in a new police training facility—arguing the city should prioritize housing stability, youth programs, and long-promised investments in Black communities instead.

Criminal justice advocates held a press conference to highlight the disparities in anew legislative report from the Minnesota Department of Corrections showing that no Black or Hispanic incarcerated people were considered for early release in 2025 under the state’s new rehabilitation law. A new report from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) shows that not a single Black or Hispanic incarcerated person was even considered for early release in 2025 under Minnesota’s