Opinion | Southwest Connector

Artika Tyner poses for a portrait in the skyway between Opus Hall and Terrence Murphy Hall in Minneapolis on August 2, 2014. These portraits were taken as part of a TEDx speaking event and conference at the University of St. Thomas.

Breaking schools’ rules: school-to-prison pipeline explained

Schools and prisons should never be in the same sentence; however, the school-to-prison pipeline is real. For far too many students of color, entering the gateway to incarceration begins with a … more

By Dr. Artika Tyner, dr.artikatyner@gmail.com | 1/1/22

MEET TESHA - When a letter that she wrote was published in her hometown newspaper when she was a kid, Tesha M. Christensen was hooked. “I had gotten my first glimpse into the power of the printed word. I wanted more,” recalled Christensen. “I saw how newspapers could be used to generate change in their communities, and how they could inform and engage people.” She started her own paper and later wrote for her college newspaper, The Clarion. Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree in English from Bethel University, she got a full-time job at her hometown newspaper, The STAR in Cambridge, Minn. – the same newspaper that printed her letter to the editor when she was a child. Christensen worked as the assistant editor and special sections editor of her hometown newspaper for 10 years, serving two counties and a circulation of 21,000 with a twice weekly newspaper. Over the years, Christensen covered a range of topics in Isanti and Chisago counties, from school board levies to new county parks to crime news. “I wrote about what new businesses were coming to town, local musicians, and rodeo shows, and a story about one local resident who saved the life of another,” Christensen recalled. “I love the ever-changing nature of this business, and how I learn something new with each story I write.” In 2012, Tesha started writing for the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger and Midway Como Frogtown Monitor after moving to South Minneapolis. She purchased the newspapers in 2019 when the longtime owners (Cal deRuyter and Tim Nelson) retired, and started her own business, TMC Publications CO. A lifelong learner, Christensen believes in the importance of the local newspaper to collect the stories of the neighborhood it serves. In the past she’s written for Northstar Media, the Isanti County News, ECM Publishers/Adams Publishing Group, Twin Cities Daily Planet, RedCurrent and The Alley newspaper in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis. She enjoys connecting with journalism students. “I love journalism, and I am passionate about sharing journalism with kids and young adults,” stated Christensen. “They are the future, and it’s so exciting to hear their ideas.” She taught journalism classes at Anoka-Ramsey Community College from 2006 to 2012, and taught for one year at Planet Homeschool, a homeschool co-op in St. Anthony, where she helped launch a school newspaper written by the middle and high school students. At TMC Publications CO, she works to partner with local schools looking for internship opportunities. Christensen appreciates connecting people through neighborhood news and seeks to make it relevant, trustworthy and local. Christensen has served on a variety of committees and boards over the years, and is a co-founder of Team Yarn - Head Huggers (teamyarn.blogspot.com), a small non-profit dedicated to making and donating hats, shawls and lapghans to those battling cancer and other serious illnesses. She lives with her two children and their two cats in a house with a big garden and a Little Free Library. Contact Tesha M. Christensen at 612-345-9998 or tesha@SWconnector.com.

BEGINNING A NEWSPAPER

Welcome, readers of the new Southwest Connector. We’re glad you’ve picked up a copy of our inaugural edition. It’s an exciting time for neighborhood journalism. Thanks for coming … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 12/1/21 | 2 comments

ANTHROPOIDEA

Stewart Huntington | 12/1/21

Time to build bridges with the whole community

Not every neighborhood issue makes headline news. But some community members in Minneapolis feel like serious concerns are being ignored by the media and their local leaders too. When individual … more

By Eric Ortiz | 12/1/21

Think twice about ConneQT

You may have spent hours researching homelessness, know the severity and the cycle of poverty inside and out, seen people standing on the side of the road with their signs, all of it. But beyond the … more

By ABHA KARNICK | 12/1/21

Advancing pay equity through registered apprenticeships in nontraditional occupations

This year, we commemorated National Apprenticeship Week from Nov. 15 to 21. NAW was first observed in 2015 at a time when women made up just 9 percent of all Registered Apprentices, despite making up … more

by Gina Rodriguez | 11/30/21

Fund local journalism to help communities

A portion of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act (LJSA) was included in the recent Build Back Better bill that was passed in the House. The LJSA, which has bipartisan support in the House, … more

By Dean Ridings, CEO, America's Newspapers | 11/30/21

What we're doing: Du Nord Foundation Community Market and Eat for Equity

The past two years have sparked a renewed interest in mutual aid across the country as the pandemic and the George Floyd Uprising have exposed the many systemic flaws in our society. In Minneapolis, … more

By Jae Yates, volunteer@dunordfoundation.org | 10/28/21

THIS IS WHAT I SEE

Art by Sarajea “Star” Martin, George Floyd Square community member, foundbysara@gmail.com featuring Jay Webb, aka The Gardener. more

Sarajea 'Star' Martin | 10/1/21

Lessons from the drought

We may be getting some rain, and the temperature is turning cooler, but make no mistake we’re still in a drought. Our Environmental Services division monitors the impact of the drought on … more

by Charlie Zelle, Met Council Chair | 10/1/21

Still holding space at George Floyd Square

America needs peace and jutice right now, more and more. There's people who have been meeting at the Square – it's been 15 months – who are holding space, and we're reimagining community … more

9/2/21

Living in America under Trump’s era while being black, Muslim, and a new immigrant

Coming to America has always been my dream, but I never expected to come to America at a time where everything started going in the wrong direction.Since I was young, I dreamed one day I would get to … more

By Safiyo Mohamed Minneapolis Public School Adult Education, South Campus | 5/26/21

Haven’t you heard? Newspapers are thriving

Newspapers are dying. Thousands of newspapers have closed. No one reads the newspapers anymore. Only old people read newspapers. Newspaper ad effectiveness is uncertain. Newspaper ads underperform … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN, Owner & Editor | 4/27/21

You're missing key points about crime at GFS

Recent media coverage about police incidents and calls to open the memorial site at George Floyd Square (38th and Chicago) to traffic are missing some key points about the Square and fail to answer … more

3/24/21

2020: The Year of the Pivot

2020 might become known as the year of the pivot.In the newspaper business, we’ve been zig-zagging for years now, since the Internet changed the business we knew. In some ways, that prepared us … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN, Owner & Editor Tesha@LongfellowNokomisMessenger.com | 11/25/20

How might public safety be transformed if we work together?

A few weeks after the murder of George Floyd, I joined over 100 of my Seward neighbors at Matthews Park for an event sponsored by Boneshaker Books. We gathered to remember those killed by police and … more

By MICHELE BRALEY Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Michele@SLRJ.org | 11/2/20

Poor governance to bring new toxicity to the ‘Arsenic Triangle’

In the heart of Minneapolis’ Southside Green Zone, in an area nicknamed the “Arsenic Triangle,” East Phillips community members have vied – so far to no avail – … more

By Erin Niehoff | 10/2/20

Voices against violence: mired in the courts

Editor's note: Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, this column by a local resident is being run anonymously. Like most people who have experienced intimate partner violence, I was not … more

10/2/20

#PressIsNotTheEnemy - so why are the police acting like it?

Over 148 journalists were attacked by police in the United States between May 28 and June 4, 2020. Yes. I said 148. Yes, by the police. Yes, in the United States. … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN, Owner & Editor Tesha@LongfellowNokomisMessenger.com | 7/29/20

We can feel both-and: Support protests and grieve loss of local businesses

There was a saying that was repeated so often when I was in graduate school that we all used to groan when our professors would say it. It was a deceptively simple … more

By Amy Pass | 6/25/20