Photo by Colin Michael Simmons
Mukhtar Ibrahim
Mukhtar Ibrahim
Welcome to 2021, the year we finally move forward again. The only question now is, how? We interviewed some key Twin Cities stakeholders, community voices, and leaders who will be central to what happens–or doesn't–in the year to come.
When I say “2020,” what’s the first thing that pops into your head?
Oh, wow. Of course, COVID-19.
How did you deal with it?
Well, I had COVID, actually. I tested positive almost 15 days ago. So, you’re calling when I’m done with my quarantine. But almost all my family members tested positive early in May. So this is something that is affecting a lot of people, especially people of color, immigrants, and the communities that we cover. When I think about 2020, I also think something else: the election and how chaotic that was. I think of, for the first time, a president not conceding and what that really means and says about our country.
Sahan Journal covered the election and the way it impacts immigrants in a way no other local outlet did.
Yeah. And building Sahan has been something that really kept me very busy. We hired our first full-time staff in the summer, right in the middle of the pandemic. So all these forces collided: hiring, building this project, COVID-19, reporters not being able to go out. The good stories come out when you are meeting people, when you are going to their houses. And COVID, of course, makes that very challenging.
You’re preaching to the choir.
So yeah, it has been really a busy year for me, all things considered, with the pandemic, the building of the organization and fundraising, and trying to come up with resources that will allow us to do this really important work. We showed how an organization led by a person of color can truly tell authentic, high-quality journalism for, by, and about immigrant and refugee communities.
Do you have kids?
Oh my God. I forgot about that! The distance learning. I have three kids. Two of them are under the age of 6. So, you are telling kindergartners to talk to the teachers every morning, like 8:30 or 9:00 am. You are a parent, you are a teacher, you are the head of a news organization, you are basically a reporter, a lot of jobs. 2020 really changed how people do work and raise families and live their lives.
What stories do you want to pursue in 2021?
I think we should have done more coverage around how COVID-19 is impacting communities of color. It’s really a big issue, and that’s one thing that we really missed. You see stories here and there about that issue, but the deeper stories, like the feature stories that are closer to the humans, to the community, I think that’s missing at the moment. I think it all comes back to COVID-19, right?
It seems that way.
And, also, the election, I think, has been a big thing. Trump came here multiple times, and you don’t normally see Minnesota as a battleground. Traditionally, it’s a blue state that no one used to visit. And Biden came also. But Trump coming back more than once—and he was saying a lot of racist things about the immigrant communities, especially about the Somali community, and you don’t see that covered. Imagine the president of United States coming here and bashing communities and the media just missing it. It’s frustrating that our colleagues are not putting a lot of focus on this issue. And it comes down to diversity. If you don’t have a diverse newsroom that truly understands the lived experiences of communities and you don’t see those stories as stories that should be covered, you just overlook them.
What gives you hope for 2021?
I hope COVID disappears. That we get good vaccines that people can take, and we’ll be out in the community meeting our friends and our colleagues. Kids will go back to school. At the end of the day, Zoom cannot replace having coffee with someone.
This article originally appeared in the January 2021 issue.
