National Freedom of Information Summit

By |

The National Freedom of Information (FOI) Coalition Summit, organized by the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information (MN COGI), took place at the Minneapolis Marriot City Center on June 5-6. Among the 70 attendees were members of various nonprofit freedom of information centers from across the nation, professors of journalism from several universities, and members of the media from organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists. The overall theme of the four panel discussions on FOI was that information should be open to the public, including those who are not members of the media. What does the public’s right to open government mean, and is the government as transparent as it should be? What kind of information is considered public? Continue Reading

Divisions in Minnesota Somali community

By |

Ten minutes before the June 11 civil rights community social was scheduled to begin, a small group of Somali protestors carrying posters silently walked into the room at the Brian Coyle Community Center. The protestors’ unexpected appearance demanded the attention of the 50 community members who were present to discuss Mayor Rybak’s proposed budget cut to the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department. FULL DISCLOSURE Lolla Mohammed Nur, the author of this article, is an intern at the TC Daily Planet, and is also an intern at CAIR. For a few minutes, all was dead and quiet in the room as people tried to digest who the protestors were and why they were present. “We don’t want CAIR”, “CAIR is a hypocrite”, and “CAIR is not for the Somali community” were some of the slogans carried on signs by the small, mostly female and elderly group of Somalis. Continue Reading

Eating ice cream, talking civil rights, protesting Minneapolis budget decision

By |

“What are we here for?” Sheryl Spencer of the Minneapolis Urban League asked. “We’re here for civil rights!” about 50 community members chanted charismatically, while enjoying free, homemade ice cream. The excitement and upbeat atmosphere was almost palpable at the Minneapolis Civil Rights Community Social held June 11 at the Brian Coyle Community Center located in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. The room was filled with community members representing the diverse age, ethnic, religious, and racial groups present in the Twin Cities, as well as the GLBT and disabled communities. Cosponsored by a coalition of civil rights and community organizations including the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission, the Minneapolis Urban League, OutFront Minnesota, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the United Somali Movement, the event aimed to address Mayor R. T. Rybak’s proposal to cut the entire Complaint Investigation Unit (CIU) of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department (MCRD). Continue Reading

Shakespeare: Coming soon to a park near you

By |

For most Minnesotans, summer means basking in the long awaited sunshine, eating watermelons and popsicles, and relaxing at one of the Twin Cities’ luscious green parks. Now add a free Shakespeare play to that treat and you’ve got the perfect ice cream sundae.Shakespeare in the Park is exactly what it sounds like: free Shakespeare plays open to the public of all ages. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy Shakespeare classics with family and friends while relaxing in a Minneapolis or Saint Paul park (see sidebar for list).“The wonderful thing about Shakespeare in the Park is that no matter how high quality the production is, the atmosphere is always very casual. People always bring picnics and blankets and sit out, and there’s something about that that’s just plain fun,” explained Helen Donnay. Donnay is an actress who will be playing a traditionally male role in The Tempest, brought to the Twin Cities by Cromulent Shakespeare Company.Plays in the parks (For park locations and additional information, see Minneapolis Parks website and St. Continue Reading