The Minnesota office is the nation's first statewide office of its kind, addressing violence and disappearances impacting Black women and girls.

Organizers of the Palm Sunday faith actions and march say they’ve been planning for it since last fall. 

Hosted at the Main Cinema in Minneapolis, the aim of the festival is to showcase Cuban culture and cinema and also call attention to the impacts of the U.S. blockade of the island nation, which the Minnesota Cuba Committee says is an economic and commercial war on the country. 

“These people come from a crooked country, a disgusting county, one of the worst countries in the world … they come to our country and they rob us blind. They rob us blind because we have crooked politicians and dirty cops. The attorney general (of Minnesota) is a dirty cop.” 

The University of Minnesota announced in October that it will no longer host high school commencement ceremonies.