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Image for Ruth Reister: A Trailblazing Leader in Law, Finance, and the Humanities

Ruth Reister: A Trailblazing Leader in Law, Finance, and the Humanities

March 3, 2025 - By Casey DeMarais

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the remarkable contributions of women who have shaped our communities, institutions, and history. Among them is Ruth Alkema Reister (1936–2015), a visionary leader whose career spanned law, finance, and public service. Through her trailblazing achievements and philanthropic legacy, she left an indelible mark on…

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Image for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday of Service

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday of Service

February 28, 2025 - By Barbara Prindle

The Minnesota Humanities Center sponsored a number of cultural events to kick off 2025, including Sweet Potato Comfort Pie’s 10th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday of Service on Jan 19, 2025. Since 2015, this event has brought people together to not only commemorate the…

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Image for We Live On: Stories of Radical Connection

We Live On: Stories of Radical Connection

February 26, 2025 - By Lucinda Pepper

Storytelling is a practice stretching back over thousands of years. It is often a method used to transfer people’s stories, knowledge, values, morals and survival tactics. Storytelling provides both cause and container for celebrations, mourning, and organizing. It is one of the most powerful human art forms. Shared stories also…

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Image for MHC Grantee Highlight: Civic Bridgers’ New Youth Leadership Development Program, Beyond Civics

MHC Grantee Highlight: Civic Bridgers’ New Youth Leadership Development Program, Beyond Civics

February 11, 2025 - By Jasmine Nguyen

On January 15, 2025, Civic Bridgers launched its new program, Beyond Civics, at Banyan Community located in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Facilitated by Jasmine Nguyen, Program Engagement Coordinator and 2024-2025 Fellow at Civic Bridgers, the Beyond Civics enrichment program trains teens to become Bridgers: community leaders who engage and…

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Image for Celebrating Junauda Petrus, Minneapolis’ Next Poet Laureate

Celebrating Junauda Petrus, Minneapolis’ Next Poet Laureate

February 6, 2025 - By Casey DeMarais

The appointment of Junauda Petrus as Minneapolis’ next Poet Laureate is a moment to celebrate. The City of Minneapolis’ Arts & Cultural Affairs Department and The Loft Literary Center deserve recognition for this outstanding selection. Junauda—a visionary writer, playwright, and multidimensional performance artist—follows in the footsteps of the remarkable Heid…

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A More Perfect Union

February 3, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey

President Abraham Lincoln, in commemorating the lives lost during the Civil War, at the Gettysburg Address noted that the United States of America is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Lincoln’s repetition of “people” underscores that our democracy is made and maintained by its citizens.

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Host the Afghanistan Youth Exhibit Free of Charge Opportunity

January 21, 2025 - By Julie Vang

Green Card Voices, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit with a global reach, has been amplifying first person immigrant narratives since 2013. Through partnerships with schools, universities, and communities, they’ve created a platform fostering empathy and understanding between America’s immigrants and the broader audience. With programming that includes published books, traveling exhibits, and…

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Sketches of Minnesota

January 6, 2025 - By Kevin Lindsey

Partnering with Danger Boat Productions, we conceived the idea of hosting a humanities comedy tour in response to news of people in Minnesota feeling disconnected and unwilling to talk to their neighbors. As the disciplines of the humanities help us better understand ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities, what better…

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Water Fits All

January 3, 2025 - By Javi Avalos

After almost a year of planning, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s (SMSC’s) fashion show with the theme “Water Fits All” kicked off on November 21, 2024. This was the first ever fashion show at Hocokata Ti, the SMSC’s cultural center that opened in 2019. The theme itself was a reflection…

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