Paul Tazewell designed costumes at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis for over 10 productions.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS interviewed Tazewell in 2022 when he became the first Black male Oscar nominee for costume design.

At the beginning of March, he made history again.

Tazewell’s talents were recognized at the Oscars, winning Best Costume Design for his work in “Wicked.” He also made history as the first Black man to receive the honor.

“I was sent up in a rocket on the night, and I continue to circle the Earth,” Tazewell said. “It’s really, really quite a wonderful feeling to have that acknowledgment, and I’m so appreciative.”

His former Minneapolis Guthrie Theater colleague and friend, DJ Gramann II, was in the audience cheering him on when he won the prestigious award.

“I started in the world of theater and live performance. Much of that work was created at amazing theater companies like the Guthrie Theater,” Tazewell said. “It’s been maybe 20 years since I’ve designed anything at the Guthrie, but now I can design in a very confident way having all the experience that I really honed when I was in Minneapolis.”

Starting in 1995, Tazewell showcased his talents in Minneapolis as his sketches came to life on stage in over a dozen productions.

“With DJ, having that friendship and camaraderie, being able to toss around ideas with him as to how to approach certain techniques,” Tazewell said. “All of that [experience] is invaluable and to my family at the Guthrie, you know that experience has been invaluable with how I now walk through life as a designer.”

Tazewell is well-known for his creative process and clear vision to enhance storytelling through costume design, but he’s also praised for his approach to working in stressful environments.

“It’s important for me and as a priority for me to lead with engagement and kindness and how to draw the best out of other people,” he said. “The making of costumes, the designing of costumes, it can be challenging and stressful just because there is always a deadline.”

Through decades of growth and persistence, Tazewell explained he wants his story to be an inspiration for aspiring costume designers.

“I always tell especially younger people that are interested in going into costume design or going into any field of the entertainment industry to hold on to your passion,” he said. “With passion and patience, you know there is a payoff.”

Tazewell is currently working on his second film with Steven Spielberg. His first was West Side Story. He believes the current movie that features his costume designs will be seen in theaters in 2026.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey doubled down on his resistance to President Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan’s immigration enforcement efforts today, vowing that his city will be a “safe haven” for illegal immigrants.

Speaking at a town hall with other Democrat leaders, including “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Frey said: “I want all of you just to know exactly where we are as far as our neighbors go, Minneapolis will continue to be a safe haven for undocumented immigrants.”

“Regardless of who you are or where you come from, Minneapolis is a place where you should be proud to call home,” he continued.

Frey, a Democrat, has previously vowed not to cooperate with President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, making him one of a slew of other blue city leaders across the country to take this stance.  

In an earlier speech, Frey assured illegals that in accord with the city’s “separation ordinance,” Minneapolis police would not gather information about people’s immigration status and would not arrest anyone for being in the country illegally.

“I want to speak to the undocumented. We love you; we care about you and the city of Minneapolis, we will stand up for you and we will do anything in our power to help,” he said.

In response to Frey’s latest comments, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, whose district includes much of the Minneapolis suburbs and area around the Twin Cities, told Fox News Digital that “Mayor Frey should stop standing guard for criminal illegal aliens and start protecting the people of his city.”

“If anyone deserves a ‘safe haven,’ it’s the people of Minneapolis who’ve been forced to deal with the consequences of his failed leadership,” said Emmer. 

In February, Emmer and several other Minnesota Republicans wrote a letter to Frey condemning his stance, which they said poses a threat to the safety of citizens.

“Just last year, ICE apprehended a known al-Shabaab terrorist in your city. This terrorist was an illegal immigrant who broke the law to enter our country during the Biden-Harris border crisis in March 2023. Last month, ICE arrested three illegal immigrants who are child sex predators in your neighbor city of Saint Paul,” they said.

“Interfering with federal actions designed to ensure the security of your constituents is misguided.”

“Your city and your constituents deserve to be protected from such threats, and we urge you to prioritize their needs over those of criminals and terrorists,” the letter went on, concluding: “It is time for you to put the safety of your constituents first.”

Adrianne Jackson, 39, regularly gets tested for HIV after witnessing a family member contract the virus.  

“That’s what made it possible for me to understand how it’s contracted and where to get tested,” Jackson said. 

Thanks to an HIV prevention clinic put on by the Aliveness Project and the Indigenous Peoples Task Force at the American Indian Center on Thursday, Jackson was able to get her test for free. 

But free clinics like these are in jeopardy after the Trump administration has threatened to cut $700 million in funding for HIV prevention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The move would affect hundreds of clinics and organizations nationwide.

“If they did that it’d be a horrible decision,” said Jackson. “Events like this make it possible for people who don’t know where to get tested to get help.”

The federal cuts come as two other Minnesota nonprofits, Rainbow Health and the African American AIDS Task Force, closed last year, in part due to state funding cuts. The Aliveness Project took over case management for many of those clients.

The south Minneapolis nonprofit has worked for 40 years to help people living with HIV through case management, food and housing support, free testing and low-cost medications.

The Aliveness Project receives nearly $700,000 a year from the CDC, primarily for HIV prevention work, such as the free clinics, said development manager Sonya Bieza. 

That work is a cost-effective way to help slow the spread of HIV, she said. 

“It’s just such a slap in the face,” she said. “A lifetime of medical costs for a person living with HIV can be in excess of $500,000 — who has $500,000?”

Minnesota has close to 10,000 people living with a HIV diagnosis, according to the state Department of Health. The state estimates another 1,100 Minnesotans have HIV but are unaware of their status. 

A report released by the agency last year showed 324 new infections statewide in 2023, which was a 24% increase from 2022 and the highest increase in more than a decade.

New HIV cases disproportionately affect communities of color, with 66% of new cases being nonwhite patients. Men who have same-sex sexual relations and people who use intravenous drugs are much more at risk of contracting the virus.

The HIV prevention and care team with the Indigenous People’s Task Force is in the fourth year of a five-year contract with the CDC that pays the organization $441,000 per year. Calvin Hylton, the team’s HIV program manager, said the funding allows them to target their HIV prevention efforts and resources on Native American adults who use intravenous drugs.

The loss of funding for that last year would be devastating, and derail the progress they’ve made over the last four years, Hylton said.

“Our program tests on average over 700 people each year for HIV and connects people living with HIV to critical resources to decrease their viral load,” he said. “Our piece of that effort would be completely disrupted and put our community in jeopardy and at risk for another HIV outbreak.”

At Thursday’s clinic, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the federal funding cuts aren’t just hitting public health programs. He cited a letter from the Trump administration weeks ago threatening to cut all federal funding to the city.  

“We’re talking about $70 million,” Frey said. “This is money for things like emergency management, this is money that supports our bomb squad … this is money for affordable housing and shelters and health care for our communities.”

Another letter came the next day rescinding many, but not all, of the proposed cuts, which the mayor said illustrates what state and local agencies are contending with. 

“We’re all kind of left scratching our heads about what in the world is going on,” he said. “The decisions that are coming down are neither wise nor smart, and they certainly aren’t done in the best interest of the communities that we all are charged with serving and keeping safe and healthy.”

Bieza said she has heard from people who come into their clinic that they’re scared of losing access to the services available at the Aliveness Project. But, she said, despite the uncertainty, the clinic will remain open. 

“We want people to know we’re still here, we’re still open and we’re going to figure this out,” she said. “We’re just leaning on our community more than ever.”