BLCK Press

26/08/2025

The Brooklyn Park Small Business Center (BPSBC) is celebrating turning 2! Founded through community input, the Center has reached 70% occupancy and supports local entrepreneurs with office suites, retail bays, and training programs.

Executive Director Indred Alexander said the Center has found success with small service-based businesses, while new initiatives like weekend exhibitions and holiday pop-ups aim to boost community traffic. Partnerships with the Neighborhood Development Center and Hennepin County’s Elevate program provide members with consulting, training, and financing resources.

Looking ahead, BPSBC plans to expand programming, reach full occupancy, and add creative content and event spaces.

The Brooklyn Park Small Business Center (BPSBC) marked its second anniversary with an open house, celebrating the achievements of its members while outlining new initiatives to support the city’s diverse entrepreneurial community. As the Center steps into its third year, the goals are to reach ful...

26/08/2025

MISSING CHILD ALERT:

The Brooklyn Park Police Department is requesting the public's assistance in locating a missing 12-year-old, Londyn Johnson.

Londyn is 5 feet tall, ~140 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. She left her home on the 6200 block of 65th Avenue North on 8/25 around 10:15 p.m.

She was wearing a bandana, black and red hoodie, grey sweatpants, and red, black and yellow Nike tennis shoes.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Londyn Johnson is asked to call Brooklyn Park Police Department at 763-493-8222 or dial 911.

21/08/2025

In light of Target’s CEO resigning, national Target boycott founders Nekima Levy Armstrong, Monique Cullars-Doty, and Jaylani Hussein gathered outside Target’s corporate headquarters today to double down on their demands for Target to reverse course on its DEI rollback and account for $2 billion they pledged to Black businesses after George Floyd was murdered in 2020.

“This movement shows the power of Black and allied consumers,” said Monique Cullars-Doty, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and co-founder of the national Target boycott. “We’ve proven that intersectionality and our dollars matter—and we won’t be ignored.”

They also addressed the company’s financial struggles and recent leadership changes, including the ousting of CEO Brian Cornell and the appointment of his successor, Michael Fiddelke.

“Incoming Target CEO, Michael Fiddelke has an important choice,” said Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of CAIR-Minnesota and co-founder of the national Target boycott. “He can restore public trust by reversing these harmful DEI rollbacks—or continue down the failed path of Brian Cornell. If he chooses the latter, Target risks declining to a point of no return.”

Since the boycott began on Feb.1, the corporation’s stock price has dropped 31% and research shows foot traffic is down in stores.

There is no end date for the boycott.

20/08/2025

Minneapolis Painter Brit Sigh is building a fantastical world around his recurring characters Marcus and Khyah—Black children with butterfly wings who embody resilience, imagination, and joy—depictions of Black youth often missing in fantasy and pop culture.

Self-taught after careers in retail, furniture-making, and graphic design, Brit committed to painting in 2022 while going through a divorce. His art now appears on digital kiosks across Minneapolis and in a large installation at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.

Looking ahead, Brit hopes to expand Marcus and Khyah into murals, clothing collaborations, comics, and even film or television. Full story below.

Painter Brit Sigh, based in northeast Minneapolis, is building a fantastical world around his recurring characters Marcus and Khyah—Black children with butterfly wings who embody resilience, imagination, and joy.

18/08/2025

Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza City threatens to displace up to 1 million Palestinians, with over 61,000 already dead and famine spreading under blockade. International backlash is growing—Germany halted arms shipments, U.S. lawmakers are calling for a ceasefire, and even Israeli rights groups accuse their government of genocide.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s State Board of Investment, which controls billions in public pensions, continues to hold an estimated $5.4 billion in Israel bonds, weapons manufacturers, and companies linked to the genocide. Despite intense public pressure, the board—chaired by Governor Tim Walz—has repeatedly delayed or restricted meetings.

The Anti-War Committee, MN Labor for Palestine, and the Free Palestine Coalition plan a protest at Governor Walz’s residence on August 19, demanding Minnesota stop investing public pensions in companies tied to Israel’s war on Gaza.

Full story below.

Minnesota’s State Board of Investment (SBI), which controls billions in public pensions, continues to hold an estimated $5.4 billion in Israel bonds, weapons manufacturers, and companies linked to the genocide. Despite intense public pressure, the board—chaired by Governor Tim Walz—has repeate...

13/08/2025

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has voted to dissolve the Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS) Board of Directors and take direct control of the Hennepin County Medical Center’s operations. The decision was driven by concerns that HCMC might need to close by the end of the year if the financial situation was not addressed.

The County Board will now directly manage HCMC, including its $1.6 billion budget, to address the financial challenges. The takeover is intended to be temporary, but no specific timeline for restoring an independent board has been set.

HCMC is the last safety-net hospital in Minnesota, meaning it provides care to anyone regardless of their ability to pay, making it a critical resource for the community.

12/08/2025

Bryan Hooper Sr., imprisoned for 27 years for the murder of Ann Prazniak, may soon have his conviction vacated after the state’s key trial witness recanted and confessed to the killing.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced her office will join the Great North Innocence Project’s petition for post-conviction relief, citing the compelling new evidence and multiple recantations from jailhouse informants.

At a press conference, Bryan’s attorney Jim Mayer called the case a “moment of reckoning” for the justice system, stressing the decades of family life Bryan has lost. The case now awaits a court hearing, with a judge having up to 90 days to decide whether to vacate the conviction.

Bryan Hooper, imprisoned for 27 years for the 1998 murder of Ann Prazniak, may soon have his conviction vacated after the state’s key trial witness recanted and confessed to the killing. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced her office will join the Great North Innocence Project’s pet...

12/08/2025

Minnesota’s plan to shut down its Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) program has providers warning of devastating fallout for vulnerable residents. DHS says 77 providers are tied to fraud — about 5% of the industry — and the crackdown is hitting legitimate organizations.

Glorius Martin says his company, 360 Housing Stability, was accused of “credible fraud” involving one client, who denies any complaint. Despite that, DHS froze all payments, leaving 30 staff members without pay this week.

Providers are urging the state to target bad actors without dismantling a program they say keeps people housed and stable. DHS has not responded to questions about how the alleged fraud was identified or why the entire program is being shuttered.

When the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced on August 1 that it was pulling the plug on the state’s Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) program, Glorius Martin didn’t just sit back and take it.“We felt moved to organize with other HSS providers to make a statement,” said...

12/08/2025

Kimberly Handy-Jones has secured a significant court ruling in her ongoing fight for accountability in the tragic death of her son, Cordale Quinn Handy. After a thorough review by the Reinvestigation Workgroup, the U.S. District Court awarded Kimberly substantial attorney fees and reaffirmed the importance of civil rights protections.

Cordale was tragically shot by St. Paul police officers in 2017, sparking a long legal battle for accountability and justice.

The U.S. District Court has granted Kimberly Handy-Jones a substantial victory, awarding her family significant attorney fees and reaffirming the importance of civil rights protections in the tragic case surrounding her son Cordale Handy's death at the hands of St. Paul police in 2017. On Friday Aug...

07/08/2025

Dozens of community leaders, local business owners, and residents gathered outside Metro Transit officesThursday to demand accountability from Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council after both agencies delayed the rollout of long-promised antidisplacement funds tied to the METRO Blue Line Extension project.

The rally comes more than a year after the Minnesota Legislature allocated $10 million for the Antidisplacement Community Prosperity Program (ACPP), a fund designed to support residents and businesses along the Blue Line Extension corridor, especially in North Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center.

Several organizations are now calling for a halt to construction until clear, accessible, and fully funded antidisplacement measures are in place.

Full story: https://www.blckpress.com/post/hennepin-county-and-met-council-accused-of-backtracking-on-equity-commitments

06/08/2025

Minneapolis police have confirmed that 12-year-old Victoria Jackson has been found safe. She went missing Saturday night near Minnehaha Falls, and there was concern for her well-being due to having a medical condition involving Type 1 diabetes.

Search efforts increased Tuesday afternoon as an emergency alert was issued before Victoria  was eventually located at a friend’s home. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the investigation into her disappearance is ongoing, though it appears she had run away from home.

04/08/2025

MISSING CHILD, PLEASE SHARE

The Minneapolis Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating Victoria Jackson, a missing 12-year-old girl. She was last seen walking from Minnehaha Falls on August 2nd around 8:00 p.m. 

Description: 
5’1” tall, 140 lbs. has black hair with twists
Last seen wearing a tan “Rugrat” shirt, blue jeans, red and black shoes
Victoria is a Type 1 Diabetic and has an insulin pump

Call 911 If you see Victoria or know her whereabouts.