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Open Call for Contributors

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Twin Cities Daily Planet, an award­-winning online publication powered by Twin Cities Media Alliance (TCMA), is looking for contributors who reflect our mission to amplify and connect marginalized voices. For us, marginalized refers to the communities who have historically been oppressed in society and kept out of mainstream media, such as people of color, LGBTQIA, immigrant and refugee, indigenous, ex-offender, low-income and disabled communities. There is room on our platform for mission-centered work that comes from allies to marginalized voices – and we welcome that. But such work needs to forward the conversation beyond the realities marginalized communities deal with every day. The Daily Planet endeavors to share stories that challenge dominant narratives, bring context and nuance to complex issues, and support and spotlight local communities. Continue Reading

West Broadway farmers market brings fresh food to Northside residents

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Editor’s Note: This video was produced as part of a One Minneapolis project which sought to teach media and reporting skills to Northside residents who wanted to tell better stories about their neighborhood. The West Broadway farmers market has been going strong for four years now. It’s a place where residents go not only to buy healthy food, but create community.   Continue Reading

Humans of Nicollet Avenue: Open Streets in photos and audio

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Fall is upon us and the time for outdoor events is almost coming to a close. Wandering around Open Streets on Nicollet Avenue last Sunday one could feel the changing air and atmosphere as folks soaked up the last bit of summer. Everyone was festive as bands played, corn roasted and people enjoyed a street free of cars. Humans of Minneapolis blogger and photographer Stephanie Glaros captured the moment with her camera while Daily Planet editor Allison Herrera pulled out her microphone and asked, “why are you here?” The answer unfolds below…. Continue Reading

Robert Cray Groovin’ at Weesner Family Amphitheater

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I’ve heard some hard working musicians who love performing to a live audience remark, “travel is what I get paid to do, I play my shows for free”. A clever sentiment you might expect to hear from Blues Hall of Famer Robert Cray, who’s August 18th Music in the Zoo at Weesner Family Amphitheater performance was part of his current trek celebrating 40 years as a touring musician. Cray has had quite a ride and accomplished a great deal, all of which has been earned through his tireless touring ambition and outstanding talents. Even a rain soaked day did not discourage loyal Blues fans from packing the seats. Once again, the Zoo venue’s mysterious powers held the drops off for most of the show. Continue Reading

On West Broadway, the energy FLOWS

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The energy that emanates from FLOW seems to get greater each year  it takes place on West Broadway in North Minneapolis. The annual art crawl originally started out as a small, but burgeoning showcase of Northside creatives, initiated by the Northside Achievement Zone. Now 10 years later and tipping the scale at over 200 featured visual and performing artists this summer, FLOW continues to grow in community attendance and participation each year since its 2006 debut. As an homage to the 10 year anniversary of FLOW, we’re sharing ten highlights from the 3-days of dynamic artistic exchange and why we think it was the best yet, including some of the special moments from JXTA. Traditional Hmong performance art

The Koom Siab Block Party, presented by Asian Media Access, showcased Iny Asian Dance Theater’s dance drama “Longing for Qeej.” On Plymouth Ave, the street became the stage for bright flashes of public Contemporary dance and Hip-Hop performances. Continue Reading

Celebrating 40 years of Southeast Asian Minnesotans

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On July 30th, the Washington D.C.-based Southeast Asian Resource Action Center will convene a special community reception at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota. Part of the national 40 and Forward campaign, the reception will take place from 5:30-8:00 PM and will reflect on forty years of the Southeast Asian American journey. For Minnesotans, this is a year that has led to significant soul searching as they consider the next directions to take. For the Lao community, for example, there are nearly enough Lao to form a city the size of Crystal, but only a handful of organizations in Minnesota who can meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of their community. As dialogues continue on issues of health care reform, immigration reform, and education reform, it is a time to consider where the Lao voice will fit in, especially as the 2016 election season approaches. Continue Reading

No Blues for Adelabu: A Mississippi Ride with Amoke Kubat

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As part of the 2015 Mississippi River Revue, put on by the Mississippi River Fund, artist and community organizer Amoke Kubat gathered some friends onto a Saint Paul riverboat to share stories of African and African American river life.

Check out the sounds and sights of the two-hour trip up the Mississippi and Minnesota. The evening full of song and story ended with a pledge to protect Sweet Water. Continue Reading

“Your Crew vs. My Crew” creates community amidst competition at Rondo Days [Photos]

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The second annual “Your Crew vs. My Crew” dance competition finished out this year’s Rondo Days, which celebrates the black community that once thrived where I-94 now cuts through St. Paul.

“Every year we celebrate Rondo Days and the people and community who once stood there,” Leviticus Martin, the host of the event, proclaimed to a cheering audience during intermission of the competition. “So keep that in your minds and in your hearts when you come to Rondo Days, to the festival, to the parade, to the competition, that’s what it’s about. It’s about the community, it’s about love.”

The competition took place at Gangelhoff Arena on the Concordia University campus on Saturday, July 18th and lasted almost three hours. The competition and dance exhibition included nine crews from Minnesota, Indiana, and Nebraska. Continue Reading