Wine and Jazz Fundraiser this Saturday, May 8

I am doing a profile on the Liberian Women’s Initiatives (LiWIM) that I should be publishing sometime next week. Anyway, they are having a fund-raising for one of their programs where they work with high school girls. Its really impressive, the work that they are doing.  Consider supporting them. Details below: What better way is … Continue reading →

Soma Nights | Benefit Party at the Lounge tonight

A few years ago a group of Kenyan friends in Minnesotan universities got together to start an education fund for children in Kenya. They would raise money every month amongst themselves, and over time formalized the association and formed the Kenya Society for Academic Advancement. A long feature will follow. For now, read more about … Continue reading →

Private means private – not even FBI can access census information

“We have always counted, in this country, everyone, whether they are documented or not. Over the years, we have learned that if we have strong [privacy] laws, we protect individuals who might hesitate to participate,” Robert Groves, the Census Bureau director told the Daily Planet on a recent visit to Minneapolis. “I can say with … Continue reading →

Mandatory health insurance for international students not comprehensive

I recently wrote about international student health insurance (below). What has your experience been? What do you do when you have to see a dentist? Or when insurance doesn’t cover your ailment? Please share in comments below. When the twenty-two-year-old student’s heart started racing, she figured that she was just fatigued after a long day … Continue reading →

“too big for your skin”

I love this video by Desdamona. I have been meaning to post it here, but keep forgetting. So here goes. My momma never told a lie, she couldn’t when the truth was clear Through stretch marks and crow’s feet, the truth is what she told me Not through words, but through the curve of her … Continue reading →

Black women and young women most affected by new breast cancer guidelines

The Black Women’s Health Imperative, a health advocacy group, has called the new recommendations for delaying the start of mammograms until age 50 a death sentence to black women. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), published a report this month detailing new recommendations for breast cancer. In its assessment the taskforce found insufficient evidence … Continue reading →

African Development Center moves to bigger home in Minneapolis

Ten years ago, just a handful of African immigrants tricklied into the Twin Cities. In 2009, conservative estimates put the number of African immigrants at about 100,000. On the West Bank and in suburbs like Brooklyn Park, they are becoming part of the fabric of their communities. Sixteen years ago, Hussein Samatar, a refugee from … Continue reading →

Al Jazeera’s Rageh Omaar in Minneapolis

This is a short notice, I just learned about this event (scroll to the bottom of this page for details on event). Rageh Omaar is an internationally renowned reporter. He worked for the BBC for a few years where he covered the conflicts in Somalia and Iraq. However, what makes Omaar stand out and what … Continue reading →

Beware: Credit Card Scam in the Twin Cities

By the Minneapolis Police Department, City of Minneapolis Please be advised that a new type of scam is appearing in the Metro area. Continue reading →

Kenyan Women on a Sex Strike: Why they did it

You’ve probably heard about the women’s sex strike in Kenya. Published below is an excerpt of my reaction to this modern-day Lysistrata . You can read the article in its entirety here. I must be getting it wrong. Or maybe most people are missing the point of the sex strike. My first reaction when I … Continue reading →