Pictures of the Year: Azhae’la Hanson shoots from the heart
Following the parade down West Broadway at this year's Juneteenth, a dance troupe gathered for some friendly competition. Dancer Kamarion was the crowd favorite. Photos by Azhae’la Hanson
We are a busy staff of two that produces a newspaper plus reports on various digital platforms. My colleague, Azhae’la Hanson, carries a big responsibility. She runs our youth program (you will see the work of some of our younger reporters in this edition) and does the lion’s share of the photography.
We count on her images to drive the design and provide a strong pitch to readers to pick up the paper. It carries a certain pressure, but Azhae’la makes it seem effortless.
Each December, I look back at her work over the year and see a valentine to the Northside community that raised her. To make a picture when no one is looking can seem like a nervy and intrusive act. But a deep love in her heart compels her to press the shutter.
Thank you for sharing your stories with her.
– David Pierini, Editor
Aja Payne, the great-granddaughter of Bernadette Anderson, took a selfie with family in front of a street sign with Anderson’s name. A section of Russell Avenue North was renamed Bernadette Anderson Way in honor of a life dedicated to nurturing young people and amplifying the rights of Northsiders.
At an alumni basketball game between North and Henry, Tim Gill, left, Robert Pierson and Quinton Jackson entertained each other with friendly jokes.
Volunteers at the Minneapolis Animal Control Center in North Minneapolis collaborated with the MacPhail Center for Music to give music therapy to its furry occupants. Austin Wahl, a professor at the school, volunteers as a cat cuddler and musician.
On July 16, the civil rights leader Spike Moss was celebrated as a hero with a stretch of Plymouth Avenue named for him. Moss, right, stood with fellow civil rights leader Mahmoud El-Kati after the street name unveiling.
Brian Bogan released his balloon with others to honor his lifelong friend, Sammy McDowell. McDowell, the owner of Sammy’s Avenue Eatery and a beloved community member, passed away in May.
In February, former Polar Trejuan Holloman ran the point for Michigan State University and came home to match up against the Minnesota Gophers.
Rahn Oz showed off some of his dance skate skills with Twin Cities Skaters at this year’s Open Streets West Broadway.
Clarissa Leino, right, comforts her student, King, in the hallway after word their school, JJ Legacy Montessori School, would close.
Northsiders Breona Maynard, left, Miss Juneteenth Minnesota; Ceray’na Alexander, Little Miss Juneteenth; and Kamira Nelson, Teen Miss Juneteenth, earned crowns in the first-ever state-wide contest in June.
A local daycare visited a community event on a summer afternoon and played Ring Around the Rosie.
Students at North High School organized a pep rally to celebrate the life of their late classmate, Deshaun Hill Jr.
George Roberts, owner of Homewood Studios, sat outside his gallery holding a piece from a project decades in the making. The piece was part of a collection of broadside prints that showcase the voices of North Minneapolis residents. He was first inspired by a stranger he met on the bench in the photo 17 years ago.
Valarie Stevenson and Patricia Harris took a boat out on the water for sightseeing. Stevenson reminisced on how the water gives her peace now, a feeling that originated from her childhood at Camp Parsons. The Phyllis Wheatley Community Center returned former campers to their beloved camp. The Predominantly African American-run and attended camp operated from the 1950s to the early 2000s was a destination for Northside youth to experience nature and the outdoors, often for the first time.
Sheliyah Johnson, center, throws a handful of fake cash during a performance choreographed by North High students.
Jovonta Patton made history as the first gospel artist to headline at First Avenue.
A young boy stepped outside his home to show solidarity with protestors marching down Plymouth Avenue to raise awareness of Israel's occupation of Gaza.