ON THE RADAR

This episode of On the Radar features Sayge Carroll, co-founder of Mudluk Pottery Studio—a grassroots ceramics space redefining what it means to create in community. Rooted in South Minneapolis, Mudluk is more than a studio—it’s a sanctuary for expression, healing, and connection, built as a Black, queer, woman-owned space where artists of all backgrounds can come together.  Sayge shares their journey as an interdisciplinary artist, blending clay, sound, and storytelling to honor ancestral lineage while building spaces that bring people together. From community feasts to inclusive programming and hands-on workshops, this conversation explores how art can be both deeply personal and powerfully communal—and why getting your hands in the clay might just reconnect you to something bigger

On this episode of On the Radar, we sit down with Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary artist Antione Jenkins, whose work spans from custom sneakers to large-scale community murals. From early beginnings doodling in school to creating powerful public art across the Twin Cities, Jenkins shares how he turned his passion into a full-time creative career.We talk about his journey building Skntones, collaborating with major brands and sports teams, and using art as a tool to highlight Black excellence and uplift community voices. From the iconic “Truck Angel” mural to new work inside Target Field, Jenkins is making his mark on the culture one piece at a time.  Tap in for a conversation about creativity, purpose, and what it means to make the world your canvas.

In this episode of On the Radar — the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder's series highlighting Black Minnesota creatives — host Damenica Ellis sits down with writer, screenwriter, filmmaker, and playwright Maxie Rockymore to talk about her roots, her craft, and the stories she refuses to stop telling.Rockymore grew up in South Minneapolis, surrounded by Black families who had migrated north from Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama. She spent her childhood at Hosmer Library reading Langston Hughes and Nikki Giovanni, sat on neighbors' porches absorbing their stories, and was writing love poems for classmates for a dollar in high school. There was never one turning point, she says — writing simply always was."I still see myself on the back steps in South Minneapolis writing stories, writing poems and just knowing that I was going to be a writer."Her short film "Fresh Cut," produced at Urban Touch Barbershop in South Minneapolis, follows Buzz — a young Black man released from juvenile detention who goes to work at his stepfather's barbershop while grieving the loss of his mother. To write it authentically, Rockymore spent a full year in the barbershop before putting the final script together. The film screened at the Twin Cities Black Film Festival, then traveled to festivals in California and Greece, including the Muses Film Festival. At the Golden Gate International Film Festival, it won the audience choice award with the highest views and ratings.Throughout the conversation, Rockymore speaks to her core artistic mission: writing Black people in their full humanity — not pathologized, not reduced to stereotype, but whole."We have problems, we have deaths, we have violence, but what I don't like and what I try not to do is pathologize the Black experience. We are wonderful people. We're beautiful people. We have a past that precedes slavery because we have a history from Africa."She also looks ahead: Rockymore is currently writing a new screenplay set in Minnesota about a young Black woman schoolteacher navigating professional pressure, family, identity, and what success truly means. She hopes to bring it to a table read at the Minnesota Screenwriters Workshop, where she serves as president.For emerging Black writers and filmmakers in Minnesota, her message is clear: write constantly, take classes at Film North or the Playwrights' Center, volunteer on sets, and stay immersed in the art. And advocate for the funding that makes it all possible."I wish there were more financial opportunities, more financial backing and funding for African-American women as filmmakers and artists and screenwriters. Because at the end of the day, you have to pay people."🎬 Follow Maxie Rockymore on Instagram: @maxie.rockymore🌐 Nominate a Black Minnesota creative for On the Radar: msr.media

On this episode of On The Radar, we sit down with Kevin Washington — a master drummer, educator, and genre-blending musician whose sound carries the spirit of Black music across generations. From his Detroit roots to his impact on the Twin Cities music scene, Kevin shares his journey, his approach to rhythm and storytelling, and how he’s using music to mentor, connect, and keep the culture alive.

In this episode of On the Radar, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder's series spotlighting Black Minnesota creatives, host Dominica Ellis sits down with poet, MC, cultural producer and educator Tish Jones.Jones is the founder of True Art Speaks, a Twin Cities arts organization now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Built on a mission to cultivate literacy, leadership and social justice through spoken word and hip-hop culture, True Art Speaks has spent two decades working with young people, professional artists, aspiring creatives and communities in schools, prisons and beyond.In this conversation, Jones talks about what it means to live poetry as a way of life, not just a practice. She reflects on growing up in St. Paul's historic Rondo neighborhood and how that community shaped her voice, her purpose and her understanding of Black history on a national and global scale.Jones also breaks down what it means to be a cultural producer, how she thinks about convening people around Black genius and creative expression, and why cultural spaces rooted in specificity matter now more than ever.To mark the 20th anniversary of True Art Speaks, Jones is curating a monthlong residency at Ice House in Minneapolis, with March's event featuring an all-women lineup in celebration of Women's History Month, including Jand Dela Ray, Sienna, Jana the Moon, Cricket, DJ Cassopia and Omi Aoma.She also discusses her writing prompt decks, designed to give people an accessible entry point into poetry and social impact writing, with accompanying lessons dropping in April for National Poetry Month.And she is dreaming big about t

On this episode of On The Radar, we sit down with Twin Cities dancer and founder Imani Moore, the visionary behind Locomotive Dance Crew. What started as a lifelong passion has grown into a movement centered on inclusion, expression, and community.Moore shares how she built a space where dancers of all backgrounds can connect, perform, and grow—while also looking ahead to a future rooted in access, opportunity, and creative freedom.This conversation highlights the power of dance as a universal language and a tool for belonging

Singer, educator and community advocate Jamela Pettiford joins the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s On the Radar Podcast to discuss how music became a lifelong path for confidence, creativity and community impact.Hosted by MSR journalist Damenica Ellis, the conversation explores Pettiford’s upbringing in Saint Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood and how her early experiences with performance helped shape her career. Inspired by gospel legend Mahalia Jackson, Pettiford went on to perform with multiple bands, including the Big John Dickerson Blues Band, while also writing music and appearing in stage productions.Beyond performing, Pettiford is deeply committed to education and mentorship. She uses music and the performing arts to help youth and adults develop resilience, confidence and self-worth. Her work includes teaching and leading creative programming through initiatives such as Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools in Saint Paul.In this episode, Pettiford shares how storytelling and song can empower communities, strengthen cultural identity and provide a space for young people to find their voices.She also discusses her upcoming album, set to release May 1, which blends neo soul, hip-hop, gospel and classical trap influences.Listen to the full conversation to learn how Pettiford continues to use music to inspire leadership, healing and community connection.Learn more about Jamela Pettiford: https://jamelapettiford.com/Read the related story from the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder: https://spokesman-recorder.com/2026/02/26/jamela-pettiford-musician/#OnTheRadarPodcast #JamelaPettiford #TwinCitiesMusic #Rondo #BlackArtists

Episode 2 of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s On the Radar podcast features South Minneapolis poet and emcee Se’Anna Johnson.Hosted by MSR journalist Damenica Ellis, the conversation explores Johnson’s artistic journey and how she blends poetry, hip-hop and storytelling to support community healing and cultural expression.Johnson is the founder of Beyond Da Mic, a creative initiative that works with schools, nonprofits and youth programs to promote literacy, storytelling and self-expression through hip-hop and spoken word.In this episode, Johnson shares:• How she first discovered poetry • The inspiration behind Beyond Da Mic • The role of art in community healing • Why storytelling matters for youth empowerment • Her upcoming album No Vacancy, releasing March 23The On the Radar podcast highlights artists, entrepreneurs and community leaders making an impact across Minnesota.Learn more at:https://spokesman-recorder.com/2026/02/20/seanna-johnson-poet-community-leader/

In our inaugural episode, host Damenica Ellis sits down with Michelle Perdue — acclaimed actor, spoken word artist, motivational speaker, educator, and resilience ambassador. Perdue’s artistic journey spans stage and screen, poetry and performance, and a life lived in pursuit of purpose and connection. Together, they explore her creative evolution, the power of storytelling, and how art can transform community and self-expression.  Tune in for an inspiring conversation about resilience, craft, and why creativity always deserves a place on the radar. 🎧