Háŋ! Boozhoo! Welcome to Native American Heritage Month! This period of recognition, reflection, and celebration is set aside by the U.S. Federal government to recognize the Indigenous peoples of this place, who governed themselves as citizens of many sovereign nations, long before European colonizers were intent upon living here. In…
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I am excited about Minnesota Humanities Center leadership and for making the We Are Water MN (WAW) program available to partner-host sites across the state. I want to share a bit about our experience at UMN Morris. The We Are Water program was an important catalyst for our community to…
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A learning pair at the Jane Addams School Social movements don’t gain momentum automatically. People must be equipped for leadership and action. Too often this formative work is overshadowed by the headline-making events it makes possible. Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to shine a spotlight on women democracy educators…
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“Most students report that they want their post-college lives to be personally rewarding and publicly meaningful.” What does it mean to live in a democracy? This question confronts all peoples aspiring to a life of liberty, security, and dignity. For those living in a political system committed to realizing…
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The nation witnessed in horror and heard Mr. George Floyd’s plea, “I can’t breathe” and with his last dying breath, his call out for his “Mama.” That was May 2020 and all eyes were on Minnesota. At Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC), we struggled with how and even when to respond…
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James L. Peterson, who served on the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) Board of Directors from 2009 to 2018, died on October 30, 2021. In May 2018 he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and lived an almost unheard-of additional three and a half years. Jim brought to the MHC…
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Our nation, for far too long, has remained silent about open and notorious acts of racial violence experienced by African Americans. As a teenager reading, The Black Book edited by Middleton A. Harris and Toni Morrison, I became aware of the countless atrocities experienced by African Americans that were ignored…
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A few days ago a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of killing George Floyd—a murder that feels simultaneously as if it happened yesterday and as if it happened years ago.
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In the span of less than seven years, Minnesota has been the site of several high–profile incidents involving the use of deadly force against African American men by law enforcement.
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I grew up in the Rondo community. It was a village of community educators. As I reflect, I am grateful to the women of that village who helped to guide and shape my life. I remember being told by my mother, “There is nothing that you cannot do if you…
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