Crying out for the release her granddaughters from the foster care system, Dorothy Dunning has been fighting for custody of her grandchildren for the past three years.

Ventura Village resident James Cook has filed a lawsuit against Ventura Village Neighborhood Association (VVNA)and its board chair Bob Albee alleging actions of the organization's leadership and management are inconsistent with its by-laws and decisions made run counter to best practices in accountability and transparency.

In several men's prisons across California, colored signs hang above cell doors: blue for Black inmates, white for white, red, green or pink for Hispanic, yellow for everyone else.

Candidates interested in becoming Minneapolis' next mayor gathered this past Sunday (April 7) to discuss their visions for the city; in particular their visions for the city's African-American community.

For it to ever be a second, there has to be a first. 

In Brooklyn Park, Michael Davis is that first … pardon; that is Chief Michael Davis. In 2008 Davis became the first African-American to be named chief of the Brooklyn Park Police Department. Based on the longevity of the past chiefs, Davis could be there for a while. He is only the fourth chief in the city’s 56-year history.

Davis, a native of St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood, came to Brooklyn Park after committing 16 years to the Minneapolis Police Department, starting as a patrolman and ascending to the rank of sector lieutenant. The graduate of St. Paul’s St. Agnes High School and Concordia University – holding a master’s in organizational management – said when he was selected chief, race played little role.

“When the city manager hired me he said he believed he hired the best person for the job,” said Davis.

It’s a new day in Somalia. That’s the message I took away from a trip to the capital city of Mogadishu earlier this year. We have our best opportunity in more than two decades to help stabilize Somalia and advance U.S. national security interests — but only if we act quickly.

The improved security situation has filled Mogadishu with new life. Somalis can once again play music and dance, activities banned by terrorist group Al-Shabab, which until recently controlled much of the country. Crowds of people fill the streets, socializing and shopping.

I want to thank all of you for coming here today on behalf of this city's young people. I want to thank you for your commitment to their safety, their wellbeing, and their God-given potential. And I know that many of you aren't new to this work. For years, you have been sponsoring sports leagues, afterschool programs, summer jobs and more.

So you in this room know firsthand the impact that we can have when this city truly invests in our children. And that's something I know from my own experience, which is why it was so important for me to be here today.

I'm here today because Chicago is my home. I was born and raised here. I built my career here. Several of my bosses are here -- former bosses are here. I met and married the love of my life here. I raised my children here, who, by the way, still refer to Chicago as home. They believe it gives them a little more credibility.

The Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) will mark the beginning of a multi-million dollar upgrade of its Dunedin Terrace public housing development. The 88 rental units in 22 four-plex townhomes were originally built for low income families in 1964, along with the adjacent Dunedin Hi-Rise for elderly residents. Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) announces the Modernization of its Dunedin Terrace Family Development on Thursday, April 11, 2013 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM (Program at 9:30 AM) at 469 Ada Street, Dunedin Terrace, St. Paul, MN 55107 (north of Cesar Chavez Street, between Highway 52 and Robert Street.)

Despite a slow start, he recently ramped up his appointments of women and minorities.

Growing numbers of Twin Cities young adults are not prepared for the modern workforce and ill-prepared relative to mastery of basic skills; they lack a defined career path, and do not possess the range of skills that employers require. For far too many of these young adults, in the absence of a career and life plan, mentoring and coaching, they succumb to the lure of the streets and become sucked into the pipeline to prison. We have seen these young people in our communities and in our families. This is my wife's younger brother, this is my young cousin, this is the young brother hanging at the corner store, these are the young men and women we care about who need a pathway to success.