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Entrepreneur creates space for Black professionals aimed toward building community through culture

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Entrepreneur creates space for Black professionals aimed toward building community through culture


Entrepreneur creates community through culture

An entrepreneur in Minneapolis is making it her mission to create an inclusive space for Black professionals to fill a void in the Twin Cities.

Recent “Greater MSP” studies have shown the region has improved in retaining people from out of state recruited for employment. However, when it comes to retaining highly educated people of color, it’s a challenge.

Through The B Suite, Jhaelynn Elam, The B Suite CEO, is building community through culture — and she’s seeing the impact first-hand.

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Bria Black, a Target Corporation employee, and her husband moved from Louisiana, ready to start from scratch, but the new chapter wasn’t so welcoming.

“We were alone, and everything was not what we thought it would be,” Black said.

Stuck in isolation in 2018, finding a community she identified with felt out of reach.

“I was in my room crying,” Black said. “I was really distraught.”

Elam faced those same feelings when she moved to the Twin Cities three years ago.

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“It feels suffocating and very isolating,” Elam said. “I made it my personal mission and I’m determined for Black professionals to never feel like they don’t belong.”

One year ago, Elam opened up “The B Suite” in downtown Minneapolis to create a cultural hub of experiences tailored to Black professionals.

The suite is a co-working space, social setting, and gateway to cultural resources ranging from health and wellness to professional development.

“One of the number one reasons that has been cited why a Black professional, or professional of color would leave the Twin Cities is because of the lack of community and the lack of culturally-specific amenities,” Elam said.

Elam held her own focus groups asking what people want to see in the Twin Cities and having inclusive, culturally competent spaces was a top answer.

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“I want people to feel excited to be here. I want people to feel like they belong,” Elam said.

Many see “The B Suite” as a place of hope in the heart of the Twin Cities, giving black professionals a reason to stick around in Minnesota and call it home.

“It was literally a Godsend. It was the best thing that she [Elam] could have done,” Black said. “I think that community is the most important thing for people who want to thrive, live and survive. In Minnesota, you have to have it.”

The official B Suite grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is Saturday, October 26th from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

The B Suite credits partners for bringing their vision to life. One of the B Suite’s partners is IKEA, who donated furniture to the space.

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“We are excited to support The B Suite through our furniture donation,” said Sanjay Kumar, Market Manager for IKEA in the Twin Cities. “At IKEA, we believe in creating inclusive spaces that allow individuals to connect, learn, and thrive. Our support for The B Suite is a wonderful step toward promoting equality and representation, and we are proud to contribute to a more equitable Twin Cities.”

The B Suite is open to partnerships with businesses and organizations with like-minded goals. Contact Jhaelynn Elam at jhaelynn@b-suite.co for more information.





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Minneapolis, MN

Woman dies in Minneapolis hit-and-run crash, driver still at large

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Woman dies in Minneapolis hit-and-run crash, driver still at large


Minneapolis police respond to a hit-and-run that left a woman seriously injured,  (FOX 9)

A woman hit by a vehicle that fled the scene in Minneapolis over the weekend died Monday from her injuries, according to Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

Minneapolis hit-and-run crash

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The backstory:

Police say they responded to reports of a hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian at about 3:10 a.m. on Sunday in the 1600 block of Marshall Street Northeast. 

Officers then found a woman in her 20s suffering from potentially life-threatening injuries. She was taken to the hospital.

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Investigators say the woman was crossing Marshall Street while carrying a bag of food when she was struck by a speeding vehicle.

Driver still at large

What you can do:

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Police say no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. The vehicle is described as a dark-colored sedan that was possibly driven by a man.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail.

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Minneapolis, MN

ICE at US airports: No sign of agents at MSP

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ICE at US airports: No sign of agents at MSP


ICE agents are set to assist TSA officers at airports nationwide due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown.

However, it remains unclear whether Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will be among the locations receiving additional personnel. 

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ICE agents to assist TSA at airports 

What we know:

The decision to deploy ICE agents comes as TSA officers have been working without pay for more than a month, leading to widespread staffing challenges. Hundreds of TSA employees have reportedly resigned, while others have called in sick, contributing to long security lines during the busy spring break travel season.

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Federal officials say ICE agents will not replace TSA officers but would likely assist with certain tasks, such as monitoring exit lanes or checking passenger identification. The goal is to free up trained TSA officers to focus on more specialized duties like X-ray screening.

The Department of Homeland Security has not released a list of airports that will receive ICE support. In a statement Monday, the agency said in part, “President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours-long lines at airports across the country.”

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Security at MSP Airport

Local perspective:

At the MSP airport, operations appeared to be running smoothly. However, some passengers are skeptical about the effectiveness of using ICE agents. “Yeah, not a fan of that, I don’t think it will make the situation any better,” said a couple.

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MSP officials would not confirm or deny if ICE agents would be deployed locally, but emphasized that wait times at MSP have remained relatively low. 

“During the partial government shutdown, wait times have consistently remained under 30 minutes at MSP Airport, despite heavy spring break travel. The relatively low wait times are a testament to the commitment of the local TSA team,” a statement read. “We’re grateful for the TSA’s continued service to maintain smooth and secure travel for MSP passengers.”

What we don’t know:

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It’s still unclear how many ICE agents will be deployed or which locations will be impacted. 

The Source: This story uses statements from DHS and MSP Airport officials. 

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Heartbreak in Minneapolis: Ole Miss Falls to Minnesota 65-63 in Final Seconds – The Rebel Walk

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Heartbreak in Minneapolis: Ole Miss Falls to Minnesota 65-63 in Final Seconds – The Rebel Walk


MINNEAPOLIS — Ole Miss women’s basketball had the type of game expected against Minnesota in a NCAA Tournament Round of 32 game — on the opponent’s home court. As anticipated, Sunday’s contest was a low-scoring game with big momentum swings, decisive moments and a large, loud crowd. Sure enough, it came down to last second — the final .8 to be exact — and within mere inches of being an epic moment in Ole Miss’ history. Alas, it’ll go into Minnesota’s history books as a 65-63 victory.

First Half

With both teams being so strong on defense, the expectation that this game would be a defensive battle was indeed correct.

Both sides had a combined 14 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and each forced the other’s offense into several awkward possessions. Ole Miss had two fewer turnovers but spent most of the half trailing the Gophers.

Having star player Cotie McMahon on the sideline for most of the first quarter with two fouls didn’t help the Rebels’ offensive struggles. In the first half, she played just ten minutes of the 20. Half. That’s it.

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After the game, Coach Yo talked about what it meant to have her out for what ended up being almost 20 minutes of the 40-minute game.

I was in the locker room, just thinking about other star players on teams. I haven’t seen them foul out in a March Madness game. Paige, Caitlin…I just haven’t seen the best players get fouled out. From my point of view, the last call was incorrect We watched it 1500 times. One of the things I do understand is officials are human….I don’t think that is why we lost the game. I just know that Cotie is the leading scorer, the Newcomer of the Year, all the things — and she plays 20 minutes (of the game). It’s disappointing because these fans deserved more than that, the game deserves more than that. I just feel officiating as a whole needs to be looked at. I’m not just talking about this game..”

Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin

Minnesota ended the first quarter on a 15-6 run while McMahon was on the bench.

The Gophers shot 50% from the field in the first two quarters, including 4-for-6 on three-pointers. One of those threes was a halfcourt, buzzer-beater that gave them a five-point lead.

The second quarter was better for the Rebels, but even McMahon’s return to action couldn’t help fully close the gap. Several trips to the charity stripe (10-of-12) helped make the deficit just three points at halftime.

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Second Half

McMahon’s foul trouble ended up being very costly.

Ole Miss had its chances in the final four minutes after McMahon fouled out of the game with the Rebels leading 59-54. She was a big reason, when in the game, Ole Miss played more like its usual “dictate and disrupt” style, going fast, forcing turnovers and getting to the foul line.The Gophers were the ones who looked out-of-sync. But once McMahon left, so did a key part of the Rebels’ offense.

Minnesota ended the game on an 11-4 run — yet only regained the lead back with 14.2 seconds remaining in the game.

Ole Miss had its chance and they nearly won the game that would have sent them to the Sweet 16.

Latasha Lattimore’s baseline drive for a layup was well drawn up and executed even better. However, it left 3.2 seconds on the clock which was more than enough time for the Gophers to inbound, dribble a few steps and drain the game-winning bucket.

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Even then, Ole Miss wasn’t beaten. With 0.8 seconds on the clock, the Rebels drew up another play that gave Tianna Thompson a good look for a three. The shot, though, bounced off the front of the rim and the season comes to an end with the 65-63 loss.

Give Coach Yo’s Rebels credit. They never quit. When the regular season ended with a four-game losing streak and everyone had written them off, they dominated at the SEC Tournament, easily handling Gonzaga in the first round and come up just inches short of another Sweet 16 trip.

Team 51 didn’t achieve all of its goals, but it should be proud of the season it had and look towards a bright future for this program.

Ole Miss Leaders vs. Minnesota

  • Points: Sira Thienou, 18
  • Rebounds: Christeen Iwuala, 6
  • Assists: Cotie McMahon, 4

Next Up

The NCAA transfer portal opens April 6 for 15 days. With seven seniors on the current roster, look for Coach Yo to be very active — and very successful — yet again. Of course the Rebels do have some very talented players — like sophomores Sira Thienou and Tianna Thompson — who will be anchors for Team 52.

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Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com

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