Longfellow

Feeling defiantly deviant about the RNC circus coming to town? Come one, come all to the Flaming Carnivale of Deviance at the Pi Bar and express yourself on August 31, the eve of the convention. This outdoor adults-only carnival will be a veritable feast for the senses, celebrating freedom of expression. MORE »

1st Cup Cafe is slowly becoming a pillar in the Twin Cities Pan African community. Walk into this cafe on any given day and you are likely to see a rainbow of Africans congregated around a topic or issue vital to our local and Diaspora community. In one such meeting I attended few weeks ago, the cafe played host to three local politicians (Sen. Lawrence Pogemiller, Sen. Linda Berglin, and Rep. Karen Clark) talking about recent and future legislations that could affect all our lives. MORE »

Erik Espeland prefers a rag and a can of paint remover. “Since late April or the beginning of May, we’ve cleaned up graffiti on Lake Street, from the Target store at the Minnehaha Mall to West River Road, two or three times,” said Espeland, who counts on about 30 volunteers. With direction and some funding from the City and from Longfellow Community Council, Espeland, who calls his group REMOV (Removing Existing Marks of Vandalism), says that high visibility areas that were a problem before are getting better. MORE »

Joanna Kohler is a filmmaker, a motorcyclist, and a believer in the power of stories. Last month she rode her motorcycle for 23 days and traveled solo, carrying camping gear and a video camera. Kohler traveled to Grand Marias, Hovland, Ely, Duluth, Hugo, Forest Lake, Grand Rapids, Plymouth, Coon Rapids, Chaska, Anoka, White Earth Reservation, Brainerd, Red Wing, Jackson, Appleton, and Mankato. As she drove, she stopped to ask 32 Minnesotans the question, “What fear have you faced that has changed your life?” MORE »