Minnesota Humanities Center

The Great Northern Festival - Learning from Place: Bdote
2024-02-04 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-01-28 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Fort Snelling State Park, 101 Snelling Lake Road, St. Paul, MN, 55111, United States
Learning from Place: Bdote is an immersive experience offered by the Minnesota Humanities Center that invites participants to visit, inhabit, and expand their understanding of Twin Cities sites with deep significance to Dakota people. Participants learn from Dakota community members to reconsider their relationship to land, water, sky, and all life—including other humans—through stories and perspectives that are often left out of our state’s history.
Bdote is a Dakota word that generally means “where two waters come together.” The bdote where Ȟaȟáwakpa (Mississippi River) and the Mnísota Wakpá (Minnesota River) come together is central to Dakota spirituality and history. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding about Dakota people’s relationship to the place we now call Minnesota and will be encouraged to put newfound knowledge into action and further learning.
Please note: This event will primarily be outdoors so dress accordingly. A Minnesota state parks vehicle permit is required (one-day permits are available for $7 and can be purchased online or at any Minnesota state park office).
Registration
Registration for this event must be made through the Great Northern Festival website.
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Minneapolis and Online - Westminster Town Hall Forum: Our Hidden Conversations
2024-02-01 18:00 - 20:30 | Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
In her brand-new book, Peabody Award–winning journalist and Minneapolis native Michele Norris offers a transformative dialogue on race and identity in America, unearthed through her decade-long work at The Race Card Project.
More than half-a-million stories have been submitted. The results, collected in this new book, are shocking in their depth and candor, spanning the full spectrum of race, ethnicity, identity, and class.
At this first-of-its kind Forum, a cast of diverse readers will help bring a collection of those stories to the stage. Following this dramatic reading, Ms. Norris will sit down for an in-depth conversation about her work with the Race Card Project. She’ll discuss how even during times of great division, honesty, grace, and a willing ear can provide a bridge toward empathy and maybe even understanding.
About Michele Norris
Minneapolis native Michele Norris is one of America’s most trusted voices in journalism, earning several honors over a long career, including Peabody, Emmy, Dupont, and Goldsmith awards. She is a columnist for The Washington Post Opinion Section, the host of the Audible Original Podcast, Your Mama’s Kitchen, and from and from 2002 to 2012 she was a cohost of NPR’s All Things Considered. Norris is also the founding director of The Race Card Project, a Peabody Award–winning narrative archive where people around the world share their reflections on identity—in just six words. Her first book, The Grace of Silence, was named one of the best books of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Kansas City Star. Before joining NPR, Norris spent almost ten years as a reporter for ABC News covering politics, policy, and the dynamics of social change. Early in her career, she also worked as a staff writer for The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
Livestream
This event will be available via livestream on May 20 on the Westminster Town Hall Forum website and Facebook page.
Registration
This event is free and open to all.
There is no ticketing or registration. Seating at Westminster is on a first-come, first seated basis. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. Music by T. Mychael Rambo at 5:30 p.m. Forum will begin at 6:00 p.m.

St. Paul - Symposium on Voting Rights: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future
2024-02-01 08:30 - 12:30 | Anderson Student Center, Woulfe Hall, UST, 2115 Summit Ave, St. Paul, 55105, United States
Please join FairVote Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas Racial Justice Initiative, Macalester College, the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and the African American Leadership Forum for a groundbreaking Symposium on Voting Rights: Our Past, Our Present, Our Future at the University of St. Thomas Anderson Student Center, Woulfe Hall, 2115 Summit Ave, St Paul on Thursday, Feb. 1, 8:30 am-12:30 pm, followed by a reception.
The symposium will convene a diverse and influential gathering of voting rights academics, thought leaders, students, community members, and political figures to engage in deep and meaningful conversations about the evolution of voting rights in Minnesota. We will tackle the challenges our democracy currently faces and explore critical reforms like ranked choice voting, campaign finance, redistricting, countering disinformation, and democratic participation, among others––and work together to build a more representative and inclusive future for our state and our country. MHC’s CEO, Kevin Lindsey, will moderate the panel entitled “Democracy Under Threat: Rise of Extremism.” There will be plenty of opportunity for Q&A throughout the morning and mingling with fellow participants at the reception.
Panels will cover the evolution of voting rights and democratic participation, threats to our democracy, and the future of democracy reform in Minnesota and the country. Confirmed speakers and panelists include: Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Secretary of State Steve Simon, Attorney General Keith Ellison, former Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer, St. Thomas Professor Yoruhu Williams, Humphrey School Dean Nisha Botchwey, Harvard Professor Danielle Allen, Stanford Professor Larry Diamond, MN House Majority Whip Athena Hollins, Rep. Cedrick Frazier, Rep. Esther Agbaje, and Rep. Emma Greenman.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required. Registration conducted by FairVote Minnesota.
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St. Paul & Online - Minnesota Writers Series: A Council of Dolls
2024-01-27 14:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The Minnesota Writers Series begins 2024 by welcoming Mona Susan Power, author of “A Council of Dolls” (Mariner Books, 2023). The acclaimed author will read excerpts from her recently published book, which will inspire conversation with the event moderator, Sheila O’Connor. Join Mona and Sheila as they discuss topics from the brutal impacts of generational trauma and systemic racism to the healing powers of love, family, and hope. This event is presented in partnership with The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, which works to understand and address the ongoing trauma created by U.S. Indian boarding school policies.
Mona Susan Power will be available for book signing and conversation after the event. “A Council of Dolls” will be available for purchase at the event, courtesy of Birchbark Books. You may also purchase the book online.
About the Book
From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, “A Council of Dolls” is the story of three generations of Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna Dakhóta women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried. Gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, the novel shines a light on the echoing damage wrought by the boarding school system and the historical massacres of Indigenous people.
About the author
Mona Susan Power is the author of four books of fiction and has written short stories and essays that have appeared in publications and anthologies such as The Atlantic, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, and Granta. She received a bachelor’s degree and JD from Harvard University and earned an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her first novel, “The Grass Dancer,” was published in 1994.
Mona is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna Dakhóta). She was born and raised in Chicago and now lives in Minneapolis.
About the moderator
Author Sheila O’Connor has written six novels and her short stories, poems, and essays have been featured in The New York Times, Minnesota Monthly, and Bellingham Review, among other publications. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a professor emeritus at Hamline University. Her most recent novel, “Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions,” won the 2020 Minnesota Book Award (Novel & Short Story).
Registration
This free event will be in person with an option to attend virtually via Zoom. Registration required. Captioning will be available for those attending virtually.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul & Online - Minnesota Writers Series: Trauma Sponges
2023-12-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The Minnesota Writers Series welcomes Jeremy Norton, author of “Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response” for a hybrid in-person and virtual event. Norton will use excerpts from his new book, published by University of Minnesota Press, to spark conversations with his co-panelists, Jeanelle Austin from the George Floyd Global Memorial, and attorney and police-reform activist Abigail Cerra. The three will explore topics ranging from racial inequality to mental health to toxic masculinity for a conversation titled, “Witness and Testify: Towards a More Just Community.”
The Minnesota Writers Series is thankful for partners doing similarly aligned work supporting a diversity of Minnesota voices, like our community partner for this event, the MN Black Authors Expo: Leading, promoting and showcasing MN Black Authors.
About the book:
In this remarkable memoir, Jeremy Norton marshals twenty-two years of professional experience to offer, with compassion and critique, an extraordinary portrayal of emergency responders. Trauma Sponges captures in arresting detail the personal and social toll the job exacts, as well as the unique perspective afforded by sustained direct encounters with the sick, the dying, and the dead.
“While many bear witness to injustice and decide that silence best serves their privilege, some use their privilege to dismantle the inequities that created the disparities in the first place. Jeremy Norton is the latter.”
—Dr. Michele Harper, author of The Beauty in Breaking
About the author:
Jeremy Norton has been a firefighter/EMT with the Minneapolis Fire Department since 2000; he was promoted to captain in 2007 and heads Station 17 in south Minneapolis. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., he received a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a master’s degree in creative writing from Boston University. After teaching high school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Norton moved to Minneapolis, where he taught creative writing at the Loft Literary Center before joining the MFD.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul - Headscarf Story Circle: Tea Celebration
2023-12-03 13:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) is excited to host Headscarf Story Circle – a series of offerings that recognizes the strength and resiliency of women. Join us for our fourth offering as we gather together through the shared connection of the headscarf and its complexity. Guests are encouraged to wear a headscarf or head dress that is symbolic of anything from a fashion statement, cultural identity, health related, or memories, and beliefs.
During these historical and current challenges, we will come together to share stories, embrace our differences, and support each other along the way. Reflecting on previous offerings, we will highlight the impact and discoveries made during previous gatherings as well as hold space for new stories. As we sip on teas and food from around the world, we will embark on a journey with cultural wellness professionals who will unveil their unique strategies for achieving balance and inner peace. Participation in past offerings is not required.
Presenters
Wendy Goldberg is an adjunct professor in the religion department at Augsburg University and teaches first and seventh grades at the Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School. Prior to these positions Wendy was the Director of Spiritual Engagement at Shir Tikvah Congregation in Minneapolis. Educated at Brandeis University, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and at Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies, Wendy’s vocation is doing interfaith work and bringing a social and racial justice lens to all of her endeavors.
In 2022, Malika Dahir joined RISE as the new Executive Director. She also started a story-time program at her local co-op so that Muslim youth could see themselves represented positively and expanded this initiative to libraries throughout the county. She served as Executive Director at Pearls of Hope supporting young Muslims in becoming more confident, compassionate citizens of their communities through the power of mentorship.
Pamela Zeller is first generation born in the U.S. on her father’s side and is proud of her Mestiza ethnicity and culture she has over thirty-five years of nonprofit management and development experience. She shares this experience with other organizations through her nonprofit management company, Zeller Solutions. Her experience in all facets of nonprofit work, direct service provider, program developer, fundraiser, financial manager, strategic planner, facilitator, informs her work with WISE and other nonprofits.
Born and raised in North Minneapolis into an Afrocentric family, Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan was taught to serve at a young age. She founded Vegan By Nature which has served over 1,000 free vegan meals in 2020 and is continuing to expand its reach. As an entrepreneur, she continues to work as a Vegan Chef, Poet, and Educator with the goal of helping to “Heal the Hood” with food and art.
Lupe Castillo (She/Her) creator of HeartSpeaks: Voices of Cultura Healing & Writing Circles is a proclaimed XicanaIndia from the Southern lands. Lupe is a Poet, whose recent written work is documented in the Northside Green “Our Urban Canopy” Art/Coloring Book, published in June, 2023 and featured at the 2023 State Fair. As a Culture Bearer, HeartSpeaks provides activated radical collaborations in writing and spoken word artistry. Lupe is also a co-founding member of Palabristas, a Spoken Word LatineCollective. Lupe is deepening her work as an Artist by partnering with other BIPOC & LatineArtist Collectives in the Twin Cities and beyond. She facilitates community gatherings and offers writing guidance where participants write about their connections to home, family, significant others, spirituality, Indigenous Identities, Murals and Cultural Arts.
Registration
To ensure that cost is not a barrier, we have a limited number of complimentary spaces available for Minnesota residents. If you would like to receive a complimentary spot, please register early with the promo code FEEWAIVER.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
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Red Wing - Minnesota Writers Series: Break Point: Two Minnesota Athletes and the Road to Title IX
2023-11-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Anderson Center at Tower View, 163 Tower View Drive, Red Wing, MN, 55066, United States
The Minnesota Writers Series welcomes Sheri Brenden, author of “Break Point: Two Minnesota Athletes and the Road to Title IX” in a conversation with her sister, Peg Brenden, one of the St. Cloud student athletes behind the groundbreaking 1972 federal court case that took on the unequal system of school athletics nationwide. The event will take place in coordination with our partners at Anderson Center at Tower View, as part of their Books in the Barn series.
Books will be available for purchase and signing following the reading, courtesy of Fair Trade Books.
Registration is required for this in-person event in Red Wing.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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Minneapolis - Passport to the Humanities
2023-11-10 17:30 - 20:30 | Minneapolis Event Centers – The Grand 1858, 212 2nd Street Southeast, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, United States
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center for Passport to the Humanities — a captivating journey of discovery through Minnesota’s unique cultures. Fully embrace our diverse cultural heritage, explore the depths of our history, and help us set a course for a brighter and more just Minnesota.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
If you would like to attend Passport to the Humanities on November 10th, please contact Jessica Rust at jessica@mnhum.org.

Minneapolis - Passport to the Humanities + VIP Reception
2023-11-10 16:30 - 20:30 | Minneapolis Event Centers – The Grand 1858, 212 2nd Street Southeast, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, United States
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center for Passport to the Humanities — a captivating journey of discovery through Minnesota’s unique cultures. Fully embrace our diverse cultural heritage, explore the depths of our history, and help us set a course for a brighter and more just Minnesota.
VIP admission includes a pre-reception from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and program and entertainment from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
If you would like to attend Passport to the Humanities on November 10th, please contact Jessica Rust at jessica@mnhum.org.

St. Paul - Poetry Sparks! Book Discussion and Open Mic with Minnesota’s Poet Laureate, Gwen Nell Westerman
2023-11-04 17:30 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Join us for a two-part event, a book launch of Minnesota Poet Laureate Gwen Nell Westerman’s new collection, “Songs, Blood Deep”, followed by an Open Mic! Poet and author Heid Erdrich will engage Gwen in conversation about her new collection, and what the role of the Poet Laureate has meant for her. Their discussion will be followed by an all-ages Open Mic emceed by former St. Paul Youth Poet Laureate, Chavah Gabrielle. Hear Gwen, Heid, and Chavah read some of their work, and then take the stage yourself to read or perform!
Books will be available for purchase and signing after the Open Mic. This event is free, however registration is required; a light dinner will be provided. If you would like to read a poem during the open mic, email Corey China at corey@mnhum.org to be added to the program!
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
SOLD OUT – REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Paul – A Decade of Learning from Place: Bdote
2023-11-02 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Join us as we honor and recognize ten years of Learning from Place: Bdote! We will pay tribute to the individuals who co-created this transformational experience with the Minnesota Humanities Center – Ramona Kitto Stately, Ethan Neerdaels, and Mona Smith – as well as reveal opportunities to continue the learning.
Learning from Place: Bdote started in collaboration with Saint Paul Public Schools, following the creation of the Bdote Memory Map. The daylong immersive experience brings participants to sites of significance to Dakota people in the Twin Cities. Centered in Dakota stories and cultural knowledge, the program has become a highly requested experience that expands one’s knowledge and understanding. Since its inception, Learning from Place: Bdote has been delivered 100 times, reaching 3,000 participants from across industry sectors.
A light meal of Indigenous food will be shared.
Registration
SOLD OUT – REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Paul - From Mountains to Lakes: Stories Of Hmong Women
2023-10-22 15:30 - 18:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
In 2021, Minnesota Humanities Center collaborated with several institutions, scholars, and artists to host From Mountains to Lakes: Hmong Educational Forum. The event provided meaningful insight to include Hmong diaspora, health disparities, the importance of data disaggregation, identity and intersectionality. Videos of these presentations are available to view online.
Watch Now
This year, Minnesota Humanities Center is proud to collaborate with Hmong Women Achieving Together to host From Mountains to Lakes: Stories of Hmong Women. Our first event is aimed at recognizing the perseverance and contributions of Hmong women in Minnesota since arriving to the US nearly 50 years ago. Following the gathering, there will be several intergenerational listening groups to identify stories and themes that are critical for community growth and on-going resiliency. Learnings from this project will be shared publicly in 2024.
Registration
Hmong women are encouraged to participate.
A small number of spots are available for Non-Hmong women participants who would like to experience the gathering for community building learning purposes. Please contact MayKao Fredericks at maykao@mnhum.org.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul - Veterans Voices Month Celebration
2023-10-21 17:30 - 19:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
October is Veterans Voices Month in Minnesota. Veterans and civilians are invited to gather at Minnesota Humanities Center for a dinner and poetry reading honoring the experiences of those serving the U.S. military from the margins, including women, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, Black, and American Indian service members among others. This event will kick off the MHC’s upcoming NEH-funded series, “Examining Military Service From the Margins.” Following dinner and a sneak peek into MHC’s plans to diversify how we think of military history and service, U.S. Army Veteran poet Jessi M. Atherton, who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom, will read from her new collection, The Time War Takes. This free event is part of the Minnesota Writers Series and Many Fronts: Veteran and Community Voices initiatives.
SCHEDULE:
5:30-6:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony and Remarks
6:00 p.m. Dinner
6:30-7:30 p.m. Poetry reading and discussion
Registration
When registering, please note whether you plan to attend both the dinner and poetry reading, or just one or the other.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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Online - Poetry Sparks! Youth Writing Workshop
2023-10-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Are you a young person (13-19 years of age) who writes poetry or aspires to start writing poetry? Do you want to connect with other youth writers? Then join us for the Poetry Sparks! Youth Writing Workshop with Minnesota’s Poet Laureate Gwen Nell Westerman, and former St. Paul Youth Poet Laureate, Chavah Gabrielle. During this virtual session, you’ll have a chance to work with Gwen and Chavah to create a new piece of writing, or workshop a piece you’ve been developing. You’ll also get a chance to read aloud and practice performing some poetry. We hope that once you’ve perfected your piece, you’ll sign up for the Youth Voices Open Mic evening on November 4th. Grab a friend and pen some lines with the Laureates!
This event is free however registration is required; participants must 13-19 years of age*.
(We are also holding an in-person session on October 6, 2023 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Minnesota Humanities Center. Sign up for one or both!)
*Youth is ages 13-19 as defined by the National Youth Poet Laureate organization.

Stillwater - We Are Water MN
2023-10-12 - 2023-12-04 | Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The We Are Water MN traveling exhibit examines water issues statewide and in local communities through personal stories, histories, and scientific information. It strengthens Minnesotans’ relationships with water, exposes visitors to new perspectives, and increases participation in water stewardship activities.
Host Partner: ArtReach St. Croix
Want to know more about We Are Water MN?
Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.
LEARN MORE

St. Paul - Poetry Sparks! Youth Writing Workshop
2023-10-06 17:30 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Are you a young person (13-19 years of age) who writes poetry or aspires to start writing poetry? Do you want to connect with other youth writers? Then join us for the Poetry Sparks! Youth Writing Workshop with Minnesota’s Poet Laureate Gwen Nell Westerman, and former St. Paul Youth Poet Laureate Chavah Gabrielle. During this in-person session, you’ll have a chance to work with Gwen and Chavah to create a new piece of writing, or workshop a piece you’ve been developing. You’ll also get a chance to read aloud and practice performing some poetry. We hope that once you’ve perfected your piece, you’ll sign up for the Youth Voices Open Mic evening on November 4th. Grab a friend and pen some lines with the Laureates!
This event is free however registration is required; a light dinner will be provided; participants must 13-19 years of age*.
(We are also holding a virtual option on October 13, 2023 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. over Zoom – sign up for one or both!)
*Youth is ages 13-19 as defined by the National Youth Poet Laureate organization.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul - Feeding Our Souls: The Essence of Latino Joy
2023-10-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The aroma of inviting cuisine continues to fill the halls of the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) as we commemorate Latino Cultural Heritage Month through food. MHC’s very own head chef and kitchen manager Lorena Bonilla and distinguished chef and owner Nettie Colón at the RedHen Gastrolab Concepts will prepare and serve comfort foods from their rich culture joined by emcee and poet Lupe Castille. Participants will have a chance to partake in the flavors through engaging “taste circles” of the delectables and share memories of the power of food from their own experiences.
Chef Lorena Bonilla joined the Minnesota Humanities Center’s (MHC) Event Team in 2002. In 2010 she became the Head Chef and Kitchen Manager responsible for overseeing the MHC Event Center kitchen and making sure that customer satisfaction is high, and food is delicious! She is responsible for the daily operation of the kitchen, caters over 300 events, and feeds thousands of people a year! She is the recipient of several culinary awards for her masterful creations served at MHC. When Chef Lorena is not cooking at MHC, she is spending time with family and friends at home where she enjoys making traditional meals with them. At age five Chef Lorena and her family moved from Zacatecas, Mexico to Bakersfield, California where her father worked at Dole Fresh Vegetables Company. She recalls how the family always had access to a variety of fresh vegetables. “My Mom is my greatest cooking inspiration,” says Chef Lorena, “I grew up watching her make delicious food for the family. When I was around 12 years old, I started chopping the many vegetables for her to make Mexican style dishes. I loved my own special role in the kitchen.”
Chef Lorena admits that she likes eating just as much as cooking. Her favorite thing to make and eat is Mexican soup – especially what she calls pesole which includes hominy added with chicken or pork. Sopa de fideo is a Mexican noddle soup that happens to be her son’s favorite dish when made by her. The Fajita Buffet is one of the most raving reviewed menu items at the MHC Event Center. Chef Lorena’s incredible fajitas are made just right – grilled chicken and beef served with seared peppers and onions, refried beans, Spanish-style rice pilaf, warmed tortillas, tortilla chips, and a condiments bar including lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
Chef Nettie Colόn is a Minneapolis transplant by way of New York and Puerto Rico and spent her early years living a reverse West Side Story. Born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico, Nettie Colón spent her formative years learning traditional cooking methods of the island with her grandmother, Maria Brigida Llanes de Jesus, and her friends. For all 48 grandchildren on her mother’s side, time spent on her grandmother’s farm in the remote central mountain town of Utuado offered an idyllic childhood. She got the love of cooking from her abuela, and to this day, that influence is very much alive in every dish that she prepares.
Her love of traveling comes from the time spent hopping around the island to eat with her family. Chef Nettie’s father is from Cayey, where the sector of Guavate aka “The Pork Highway” is located. That is how she came to realize that people do travel for food, especially in Puerto Rico. This passion of traveling for food has led her to work all over the United States & abroad, with culinary adventures to West Indies, Wales, Spain, France, Sardinia, Southern Italy, Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Rica & Panama. She was Chef de Cuisine at Lucias Restaurant & Wine Bar for a decade. She also taught the history of Mayan cuisine in the Biosphere Reserve of Sia’an Ka’an in Tulum, Yucatan for 9 years where she fell in love with traditional Mayan cooking methods including Pibil, which lead to exploration of underground techniques from around the world such as Pachamanca, Curanto, Hangi and others.
She is Chef/Owner of The Red Hen Gastrolab Concepts (Red Hen Gastrolab, Red Hen Chinchorro & Red Hen Table) which is committed to the preservation of the relationships built around food traditions in the kitchen and at the table. She is also Resident Chef at The Break Room Minneapolis at The Historic Machine Shop, a James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp Alumni, BA Craftmade Aprons “Project Black & Blue” Advocate, Market Chef & Mill City Farmers Market Charitable Fund Board Member of The Mill City Farmers Market.
Lupe Castillo @1heartspeakslupe (She/Her) creator of HeartSpeaks: Voices of Cultura Healing & Writing Circles is a proclaimed XicanaIndia from the Southern lands. Lupe is a Poet, whose recent written work is documented in the Northside Green “Our Urban Canopy” Art/Coloring Book, published in June, 2023 and featured at the 2023 State Fair. As a Culture Bearer, HeartSpeaks provides activated radical collaborations in writing and spoken word artistry. Lupe is also a co-founding member of Palabristas, a Spoken Word LatineCollective. Lupe is deepening her work as an Artist by partnering with other BIPOC & LatineArtist Collectives in the Twin Cities and beyond. She facilitates community gatherings and offers writing guidance where participants write about their connections to home, family, significant others, spirituality, Indigenous Identities, Murals and Cultural Arts.
Registration
Due to the focus of this program, the fee is waived for Latino community members residing in Minnesota. You are invited to register with promo code COMMUNITY23.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
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Staples - Including An Indigenous Lens that Honors the Past, Present, and Future
2023-10-05 08:30 - 15:00 | Sourcewell, 202 12th Street NE, Staples, MN, 56479, United States
Did you know that Minnesota is home to 11 federally-recognized tribes? Do you know whose ancestral lands your school is now occupying? In this session of Excavating Excellence: A Speaker Series and Cohort offered by Sourcewell, we will excavate a perspective that is too often minimized, misrepresented, or sometimes completely absent: the perspective of our nation’s first people. Join us as we hear first-hand accounts from a panel of regional, native voices sharing about schooling experiences. In addition to our panel, we will hear from experts from the Minnesota Humanities Center and Understand Native Minnesota as they lead us through how to find and implement resources from an Indigenous lens that honors the past, present, and future.
This session is part of the Excavating Excellence Speaker Series offered by Sourcewell.
Registration
Registration Questions: education@sourcewell-mn.gov
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St. Paul - Our Ancestors Are Us: An Asian Adoptee Life Writing Workshop
2023-10-01 10:00 - 12:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
As part of the Minnesota Humanities Center’s writing and reflection offerings, we are excited to collaborate with Jennifer Kwon Dobbs to host Our Ancestors Are Us: An Asian Adoptee Life Writing Workshop, a project funded by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.
Adoption from Asia involves a child’s removal from their kinship of birth and oftentimes disconnection from their ancestral culture and ways of knowing. This interactive workshop creates a generative, adult adoptee-centered space in which to explore the unique ways that adoptee memory and experience can be empowering sources of creativity and literary witness. Participants will learn and share writing strategies to compose works of their own about their lives lived, unlived, and imagined otherwise as adoptees.
Lee Herrick – Special guest Lee Herrick is the California Poet Laureate. He is the author of three books of poems: Scar and Flower, finalist for the 2020 Northern California Book Award; Gardening Secrets of the Dead; and This Many Miles from Desire. Born in Daejeon, Korea and adopted as an infant, Lee teaches at Fresno City College and in the low-residency MFA program at University of Nevada Reno at Lake Tahoe.
Jennifer Kwon Dobbs 허수진 – Born in Wonju, Republic of Korea and adopted in Oklahoma, Jennifer Kwon Dobbs 허수진 is the author of Interrogation Room (White Pine Press, 2018), Paper Pavilion (White Pine, 2007), and the chapbooks Notes from a Missing Person (Essay Press, 2015) and Necro Citizens (hochroth Verlag, 2019). Her work has received the 2023 American-Scandinavian Foundation’s Lief and Inger Sjöberg Prize for literary translation among other honors. Currently, she is senior poetry editor of AGNI and professor and chair of English at St. Olaf College. www.jkwondobbs.com.
Registration
This event is open to all adult Asian diaspora adoptees who want to write or who identify as writers. Registration is limited to 40 participants.
Snacks are included, and a journal will be provided.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Cloud - Minnesota Writers Series: Break Point: Two Minnesota Athletes and the Road to Title IX
2023-09-28 17:00 - 19:00 | St. Cloud City Hall, 1201 7th Street South, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
The Minnesota Writers Series welcomes Sheri Brenden, author of “Break Point: Two Minnesota Athletes and the Road to Title IX” in a conversation with her sister, Peg Brenden, one of the St. Cloud student athletes behind the groundbreaking 1972 federal court case that took on the unequal system of school athletics nationwide. The event will take place in the former high school gym, now converted into St. Cloud city council chambers. Mayor Dave Kleis will provide a welcome. Co-sponsored by the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership and the Stearns County Museum. Registration is required for this in-person event.
Can’t make it to the St. Cloud event for Break Point? Join the Brenden sisters in Red Wing in November in conjunction with the Anderson Center at Tower View’s Books in the Barn series.
Registration
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St. Paul - Cambodian Heritage Celebration
2023-09-23 18:00 - 22:00 | Minnesota History Center, 345 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN, 55102, United States
Join us for the first Cambodian Heritage Day as we celebrate the beauty of the Cambodian Minnesota community and its complex culture. This event features an evening of performances, music, food, and history. All community members are invited to this event to learn more about Minnesota’s Cambodian ancestry. There is no cost to attend, but registration is strongly encouraged.
The Minnesota Humanities Center and the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans are honored to support this partnership with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
Registration
Parking in the Minnesota History Center parking lot is complimentary, thanks to funding by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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Online - True Tuesday: Coordinating a Multifaith Response to Hate Based Discrimination and Violence in MN
2023-09-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
How can religious leaders and community organizations collectively work to effectively address hate and divisiveness in Minnesota?
This question was addressed on July 20 at “Coordinating a Multifaith Response to Hate Based Discrimination and Violence in MN” a convening hosted by the Minnesota Multifaith Network (MnMN), Augsburg Interfaith Institute and national organization Shoulder to Shoulder.
TRUE partner, Dr. Jen Kilps, Network Executive of the MnMN, is pleased to welcome Professor Najeeba Sayeed, El-Hibri Endowed Chair and Executive Director of Interfaith at Augsburg to our next TRUE Tuesdays session where Dr. Sayeed will share the process and results from the July 20th convening. Professor Sayeed will also share her own work toward countering and preventing religious based discrimination and violence, particularly with an anti-Muslim bias.
About this Convening
People of faith, community representatives, and organizers who are active in countering and preventing hate in Minnesota gathered to meet and build relationships with peers across traditions, share efforts underway and resources available, and brainstorm new ways to act together. The questions the group gathered to ask were:

What do Minnesotans need to hear from its diverse religious leaders on these and other issues?
What grassroots work is already going on to prevent and respond to hate, divisiveness and discrimination?
How could efforts, current and new, be synergized to make a significant impact in Minnesota’s communities?

Prof. Najeeba Syeed
Prior to becoming the El-Hibri inaugural endowed chair and executive director Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute, Najeeba Syeed was a professor and expert practitioner in the fields of conflict resolution, mediation, and interfaith studies. An award-winning educator, she has taught extensively on interreligious education and published articles on faith and community-based conflict resolution, restorative justice, and interfaith just peacemaking. She previously served for 10 years as an associate professor at the Claremont School of Theology. She also held faculty positions at Starr King School for the Ministry and Chicago Theological Seminary, where she was most recently associate professor of Muslim and interreligious studies. She has served as the co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Religion and Politics Section and was a member of the Academy’s Religion, Social Conflict, and Peace Section.
Syeed also brings significant executive experience in organizations focused on conflict resolution in community, higher education, and government settings, including the Western Justice Center Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center. Her peacemaking work in the area of gang intervention, school based conflict resolution and community peacebuilding has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. In 2021, she served as chief of staff to the first Asian American woman elected to the Los Angeles city council. She holds a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law and a bachelor of science degree from Guilford College.
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Birmingham, AL – There IS a Balm in Gilead: Healing from the Events of 1963 National Conference
2023-09-12 - 2023-09-14 | Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, 2101 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, AL, 35203, United States
This year, 2023, the City of Birmingham commemorates sixty years since the Birmingham campaign for civil and human rights. As a part of the commemorative events, The Historic Bethel Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama, is pleased to announce its conference on individual and community healing.
The conference theme is “There IS A Balm in Gilead: Healing From The Events of 1963.” The conference will take place September 12-14, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. What happened here in 1963 changed not only the city but inspired similar movements for human and civil rights across the nation and around the world.
Those directly and indirectly involved in the Modern Civil Rights Movement were significantly affected by the events of the 1950s and 1960s. Survivors still express remorse and weep whenever they share what they experienced during that time. The goal of the conference is to open doors of communication that will help foster healing for those victims directly and indirectly as well as the community as we unpack a legacy of hurt and shame. It has been well documented that the physical, emotional, mental, and intergenerational effects of trauma have lasting effects on individuals and communities. There IS A Balm in Gilead!
The There IS A Balm in Gilead Healing Conference is hosted by the Historic Bethel Baptist Church Community Restoration Fund, The Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Alabama Humanities Alliance.
Registration
Registration for this event has closed.

St. Paul - Poetry Encuentro: A Latine Poetry Gathering
2023-09-09 09:30 - 16:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
This poetry encuentro will bring together Latine community members to engage in storytelling based on Latine literary traditions. We want to recognize the complex and inspiring stories of Minnesota’s Latine community and their contribution to Minnesota’s diverse and vibrant cultural heritage. Focusing on poetry as creative expression, writers of all levels will produce, break bread, and perform together in a shared space. Join us for what will be a historic and memorable encuentro celebrating the written and spoken word!
This full-day gathering is being offered by Palabristas in collaboration with the Minnesota Humanities Center. Poetry Encuentro hosts/facilitators: Marion Gomez, Larry Lucio Jr., David Mendez, Teresa Ortiz, and Gabriela Spears-Rico.
Registration
This event is open to all Latine community members who want to write or who identify as writers. Registration is limited to 40 participants.
Continental breakfast and lunch are included.
You are welcome to register using promo code COMMUNITY to waive the fee if you wish.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
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St. Paul - Learning from Place: Bdote
2023-09-09 08:30 - 14:30 | Indian Mounds Regional Park, 10 Mounds Blvd, St. Paul, 55106
Learning from Place: Bdote is an immersive experience that brings participants to sites of great significance to Dakota people in the Twin Cities. Participants will learn from Dakota community members through stories and histories that have often been left out of our state’s history. This experience is open to the general public and is particularly beneficial for educators who want to include new perspectives in their history curriculum.
Learning from Place: Bdote will begin at Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul. We will also be visiting Fort Snelling State Park (parking permit is required) and Pilot Knob Preservation Site. We will be outside the entire time. Participants need to provide their own transportation, lunch, snacks and beverages.
K-12 educators will receive 5 clock hours.
Indigenous people of this place have the longest relationship to the land. Because of the nature of this program and experience, the fee is waived for indigenous participants. Contact Eden Bart at eden@mnhum.org before registering.
This experience involves nearly 1.5 miles of walking throughout the day, sometimes on unpaved paths, as well as standing for periods of time. We do provide audio headsets for amplification of the tour guides and to support social distancing. For specific inquiries about accessibility, please contact Eden Bart at eden@mnhum.org or 651-772-4261.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
Registration for this event has SOLD OUT. We are no longer accepting registrations for the Waitlist.
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St. Paul - National Read a Book Day
2023-09-06 15:00 - 18:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
September 6 is National Read a Book Day. In celebration, we invite book lovers of all ages to the lawn of the Minnesota Humanities Center for a read-in gathering. Bring the book of your choice, a blanket or chair, and join in celebration by reading in community. Extra blankets and books will be available for those without. Story Walks will also be located around the grounds for wandering young readers. Can’t make it? Celebrate wherever you happen to be by taking time out of your day to read. The event is free and open to all to join at their leisure as time allows.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul - Headscarf Story Circle: The Promise
2023-08-19 09:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) is excited to host Headscarf Story Circle – a series of offerings that recognizes the strength and resiliency of women. Join us as we gather together through the shared connection of the headscarf and its complexity. Guests are encouraged to wear a headscarf or head dress that is symbolic of anything from a fashion statement, cultural identity, health related, or memories, and beliefs.
We kicked off the series by introducing women to each other through “Tea” followed by the “The Gift” where women exchanged symbolic items representing life lessons and personal power. Now we arrive at our third event “The Promise,” a commitment to memorialize our story of who we are, the lessons we’ve learned, and how we can use our abilities and stories to support each other regardless of our differences.
Join us for a day-long retreat filled with cultural dancing and sharing, food, and many ways to memorialize the promise through writing, comedy, painting, and creating a personal artifact.
We are honored to feature the talent and cultural knowledge of women leaders and artists from the following organizations: Africontigbo, Amy A Jewelry, FAWK (Funny Asian Women Kollective), Memorialize the Movement, RISE (Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood of Empowerment), WISE (Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment), and Palabristas.
A breakfast buffet will be available from 8:15 AM -9:00 AM . The program will begin at 9:00 AM. Lunch and workshop materials included.
Agenda
8:15 a.m. – Doors Open
8:30 a.m. – Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – Program Begins
9:15 a.m. – Group Story Circle
9:55 a.m. – Workshop Session I (Workshop 1A: Re-writing Our Personal Narrative, Workshop 1B: The Specialness of Being: A Memoir Writing Workshop, Workshop 1C: Personal Narrative Writing: Telling Our Stories)
12:00 p.m. – Lunch
12:45 p.m. – Workshop Session II (Workshop 2A: Reviving Forgotten Treasures, Reviving Memories Through Jewelry, Workshop 2B: Finding the Comedy In Your Life, Workshop 2C: Paint to Express)
2:50 p.m. – Group Story Circle
3:25 p.m. – Rhythms of Africa
4:00 p.m. – Closing
Intergeneration participation is welcomed.
Registration
To ensure that cost is not a barrier, we have a limited number of complimentary spaces available for Minnesota residents. If you would like to receive a complimentary spot, please register with the promo code FEEWAIVER.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Roseau - We Are Water MN
2023-08-17 - 2023-10-09 | Roseau County Historical Society, 121 Center Street East, Roseau, MN, 56751, United States
The We Are Water MN traveling exhibit examines water issues statewide and in local communities through personal stories, histories, and scientific information. It strengthens Minnesotans’ relationships with water, exposes visitors to new perspectives, and increases participation in water stewardship activities.
Host Partner: Roseau County Historical Society
Want to know more about We Are Water MN?
Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.
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Minneapolis - Critical Conversation: Healing Through Equitable Recovery and Redevelopment
2023-08-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
Since 2020, when several buildings were destroyed in the uprising following George Floyd’s murder, much has been happening at Minnehaha Avenue and East Lake Street as community organizations like Longfellow Rising, local residents and business leaders, and arts groups like Pangea World Theater plan for equitable redevelopment that centers the needs and visions of the neighborhood. Join Pangea’s Executive Director Meena Natarajan, Artistic Co-Director Dipankar Mukherjee, and other facilitators for this conversation about how our networks of mutuality working together can help to heal the traumas of 2020 to create an exciting, equitable future for Minneapolis.
Light meal will be served. This event is part of a series of Critical Conversations, created in partnership with the 2023 Wakpa Triennial Art Festival, presented by Public Art Saint Paul.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED
