WASHINGTON (NNPA) - In an emotionally charged eulogy that took place on a radiant afternoon, Stephen Tyrone Johns, the special police officer who was slain at the U.S. Holocaust Museum, was remembered as a gentle giant with a big heart and warm smile.

The Black Press of America convenes this week in Minneapolis for the National Newspaper Publishers Association Annual Convention June 24 through June 28 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

US Rep.Keith Ellison (D-Minneapolis), Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other elected officials and tribal leaders toured the American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center (AIOIC) on Sunday, June 7, to witness firsthand the economic recovery package at work.  Pelosi met with students and employers of the American Indian OIC Summer and Year Round Youth Employment Program funded by the economic recovery package passed by the Congress and signed into law by the President.

Twin Cities Northside resident and Master Storyteller, Nothando Zulu has been invited to perform her storytelling magic at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC June 24 through July 5th. The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum complex and research organization composed of 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the National Zoo.

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Minnesotans need to prepare for significant property tax increases and major cuts to public safety, libraries, parks, and other city services, mayors said in response to the announcement that Governor Tim Pawlenty will unallot $192 million of funding to Minnesota cities.

The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) announces the fifth funding cycle for its grant program, the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA).  The NALAC Fund for the Arts provides grant support to Latino artists and small and mid-sized organizations in all regions of the United States.  Through the NFA, NALAC has awarded more than $523,000 to Latino artists and organizations in four years, representing a significant investment in the creative and cultural assets of the nation.
Launched in 2005 with major support from the Ford Foundation, the NALAC Fund for the Arts is the only national arts fund in the country that provides support specifically for Latino artists and arts organizations working in all artistic disciplines.

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – U. S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, is pressing the White House and the president’s cabinet on the apparent void in federal government advertising in Black-owned newspapers and radio.

Minnesota 5th District Congressman Keith Ellison this week condemned the rise in hate crimes in the United States, including the Wednesday murder of Stephen T. John, a guard on duty at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the recent murder of physician Dr. George Tiller while he attend his Sunday church service.

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - President Barack Obama has targeted 5,000 schools across the country to be closed then reopened with new faculty and administrators over a five-year span.

The Minneapolis Police and Fire Departments this month are partnering with Memorial Blood Centers in a competitive blood drive with their St. Paul counterparts.  The program, known as the Battle of the Badges, pits Minneapolis versus St. Paul departments in a friendly competition for a traveling trophy based on the total number of donors representing each organization.