Contributors
Thank you to the writers and photographers that helped to create the initial articles and imagery for the launch of the Minneapolis Cultural Districts project. An emphasis was made on having a first-person narrative created by Minneapolis locals who have ties or are personally familiar with the districts they were exploring. Their work is instrumental in the storytelling of these diverse districts.
Writers
Ali Elabbady
Ali Elabbady is a food and music writer based in the Twin Cities. Currently, Ali writes about food for Eater Twin Cities and has written about food and music in the past for City Pages, The Current, and more. Ali is also the host and producer for the TV show Tacos & Tastemakers, which launched its pilot season in September of 2020 and is available to watch on YouTube.
Harry Colbert Jr.
Harry Colbert, Jr., an award-winning journalist, has contributed as a reporter, columnist/commentator and editor for such outlets as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s The Village, Suburban Journals (St. Louis), St. Louis American, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Joplin Globe (Mo.), Metro Networks (St. Louis) and KDHX (St. Louis). A proud resident of the Cleveland neighborhood of North Minneapolis, Colbert enjoys spending time in his backyard grilling and entertaining for family and friends.
Jaida Grey Eagle
Jaida Grey Eagle is an Oglala Lakota artist, currently located in St. Paul. She is a photojournalist, producer, beadwork artist, and writer. She is a Report for America Fellow with the Sahan Journal covering communities of color in the Twin Cities and also is researching Indigenous photography at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts as an ongoing former Curatorial Fellow.
Michael Kleber-Diggs
Michael Kleber-Diggs is a poet, essayist, and literary critic. His debut poetry collection, “Worldly Things,” won the Max Ritvo Poetry Prize (Milkweed Editions, 2021). His essay, “On the Complex Flavors of Black Joy,” is included in the anthology “There’s a Revolution Outside, My Love: Letters from a Crisis,” edited by Tracy K. Smith and John Freeman. Among other places, Kleber-Diggs’ writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Great River Review, Water~Stone Review, Poem-a-Day, Poetry Daily, Poetry Northwest, Potomac Review, Hunger Mountain, Memorious, and a few anthologies.
Website
Natalia Mendez
Natalia Mendez (they/them) is a queer Latine writer with Lake Street roots currently living in North Minneapolis. They write about food, the outdoors, travel, and life on the margins. They can be found on a bike or motorcycle, behind a camera, in the kitchen, or snuggling with their two cats, Carl and Cosmo. For more of their work, check out their food project on Instagram @lengua.y.corazon, or their website, bynataliamendez.com.
Taycier Elhindi
Tay Elhindi (she/her) is a Black bi-racial writer currently living in Minneapolis. She's a food and culture journalist with a background in the hospitality industry. Tay is also a community organizer for social racial justice and works to build stronger, more diverse communities rooted in equity. Outside of community organizing, she can be found at school, where she studies graphic design and marketing, in the kitchen cooking for friends and family, or visiting a local coffee shop with friends. Follow along with Tay on Instagram, @tayelhindi.
Tiffany Bui
Tiffany Bui is a reporter focused on race and culture in Minneapolis. Her work has been published at MinnPost, Minnesota Public Radio, Sahan Journal, and Insight News. She is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
Photographers & Videographers
Annie Wang
Annie is a freelance photographer with a passion for food and Minneapolis history. Born in Taiwan and raised in Minnesota, she lives in Minneapolis with her husband and daughter.
Asha Belk
Asha Belk is a school social worker and photographer that lives in North Minneapolis. Her inspiration comes from the simplicity of nature, meeting new people, hearing their stories, and beautifully plated food. What she enjoys most about photography is capturing life unscripted because it's when true emotion and vulnerability come to life.
Jaida Grey Eagle
Jaida Grey Eagle is an Oglala Lakota artist, currently located in St. Paul. She is a photojournalist, producer, beadwork artist, and writer. She is a Report for America Fellow with the Sahan Journal covering communities of color in the Twin Cities and also is researching Indigenous photography at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts as an ongoing former Curatorial Fellow.
Paola Carlson-Sanchez
Paola Carlson-Sanchez is a bilingual communications specialist and a freelance multimedia story teller that lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota since 2016. She loves to photograph, write, read and explore the places she calls home. Paola comes from Ecuador but has lived in Germany and Russia and is interested in health, community engagement and social justice issues.
Rebecca Rabb
I am proud to be born and raised in North Minneapolis! I love documentary photography, and shooting all the beautiful things going on in my community. The best part of taking pictures is building relationships in different spaces. When not taking pictures, I enjoy spending my time with my husband and 5 children.
Ryan Stopera
Ryan is a mixed race, Chinese American, photographer, filmmaker, producer and educator based in Minneapolis. He's worked with community organizations for over 15 years including with individuals experiencing homelessness, children and families, and foster care youth, as well as in program development and affordable housing development. Ryan's background in social work and his relationships across communities make collaboration essential to his work, whether in creative projects such as filmmaking, or making space for connection, such as producing community events or program development.
In partnership with Meet Minneapolis and Greenspring Media
Meet Minneapolis is the accredited Destination Marketing Organization from Destinations International. At Meet Minneapolis, our mission is to positively impact the economic and social prosperity of our Minneapolis community by attracting visitors, meetings and events that directly support jobs and local businesses, and generate critical revenues.
This project is also in partnership with Greenspring Media, a multi-platform communications company in Minnesota that specializes in the creation and distribution of compelling content to connect readers and viewers to clients and partners.
