Minnesota Humanities Center

Online - True Tuesdays: Youth Voice in Decision-Making with Minnesota Youth Council (MYC)
2023-05-16 14:30 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Online
Did you know that Minnesota youth are the only youth in the nation that have an official voice in legislation? Join us on May 16th to learn about the four key initiatives of the Minnesota Youth Council (MYC) and the work they have done this legislative session in pursuit of a just and equitable Minnesota.
The MYC envisions a state that prioritizes the agency and voice of young people from all backgrounds. The MYC is a collaborative of youth leaders that works to amplify the voice and power of their peers across the state of Minnesota. These young leaders are the go-to group in Minnesota for elevating and championing youth voice in decision-making. Members of the MYC are change agents in their communities and across the state, leading the way with youth-centered systems change. The Council is comprised of 8th-12th graders representing each congressional district in Minnesota and provides guidance to the legislature, governor, and Department of Education on issues affecting young people.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Minneapolis and Online - Westminster Town Hall Forum: Arc Toward Justice 2023
2023-05-20 18:00 - 20:30 | Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
Join renowned philosopher and social critic Dr. Cornel West and social impact strategist and professional disruptor Ifeoma Ike in Minneapolis in a collaborative event with our partners Westminster Town Hall Forum and Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers. Minnesota Public Radio Host Angela Davis will serve as our moderator for the “ARC Toward Justice” event.
West has written 20 books and he is best known for the classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. Dr. West’s most recent book, Black Prophetic Fire, offers an unflinching look at nineteenth and twentieth-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies. He is the former Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University.
Ike has co-engineered Just Leadership USA and Mass Bail Out NYC efforts as well as the formation of three congressional caucuses: Caucus on Black Men and Boys, Caucus on Black Women and Girls, and Caucus on Black Innovation. As a movement lawyer, Ike has been a policy advisor regarding human rights violations in Haiti, mistreatment of Afro-Columbians, and non-consent medical practices in Africa.
Following the thought-provoking conversation by our celebrated speakers Dr. West and Ms. Ike of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice, attendees will have an opportunity to continue the conversation with fellow attendees to create the beloved community and ensure that the moral arc of the universe continues to bend toward justice.
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 Singers Of This Age at 5:30 p.m. Forum will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Coleraine - Teaching American Indian Content to All
2023-06-06 09:00 - 2023-06-07 15:30 | Greenway High School, 308 Roosevelt Street, Coleraine, MN, 55722, United States
MHC is pleased to be a presenter at a two-day professional development training hosted by Greenway Nashwauk Keewatin Indian Education at Greenway High School. Educators in the Coleraine and greater Grand Rapids area are invited to attend all or part of the training. There will be multiple classes covering all teaching grade levels and subjects. MHC’s session, Teaching American Indian Content to All, will be given on Wednesday, June 7. CEUs are available for participating educators.
Presenters:
Dan & Susan Ninham: Indigenized Physical Activity Breaks, Team Building, Northern Indigenous Games
Carolyn Olson: Implementing Indigenous Education in the Classroom
Lowana Greensky: Fry Bread Tacos, Resiliency
Patti Rychart: Dream Catchers
Govinda Budrow: Special Education
Donna Patterson: Special Education
Sherwin Obey: Sports, Physical Activities, Quick Games for Elementary Students
Jade Wilson: Elementary Lessons
Rachael Herring: Art Projects
Eloise Jackson: Conversations with an Elder
Eden Bart: Minnesota Humanities Center, Teaching American Indian Content to All
Registration
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Minneapolis - Juneteenth Brunch: It Starts With Me with Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO The King Center
2023-06-10 11:00 - 15:00 | Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
Juneteenth Brunch 2023 from OMG Studios on Vimeo.
It Starts With Me Cultivating A Beloved Community Mindset To Transform Unjust Systems brings a fresh perspective to the questions, “Where do we go from here?” and “How do we overcome economic inequities and injustices in our world house?”
Dr. Bernice A. King , CEO of The King Center /Author of “It Starts With Me” / Daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr .and Mrs. Coretta Scott King
Dr. Bernice A. King is a global thought leader, strategist, solutionist, orator, peace advocate, and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center), which was founded by her mother as the official living memorial to the life, work, and legacy of her father. In this position, Bernice continues to advance her parents’ legacy of nonviolent social change through policy, advocacy, research, as well as education & training through the Kingian philosophy of nonviolence, which she re-branded Nonviolence365™ (NV365™). Through her work at The King Center, she educates youth and adults around the world about the nonviolent principles and strategies modeled by her parents. Dr. King received both a Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Divinity (MDiv) Degrees from Emory University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Spelman College. As a noted author, she has to her credit, “Hard Questions, Heart Answers,” as well as a children’s book entitled “It Starts with Me,” which is a part of The King Center’s Be Love movement. Dr. King is an innovative, inspirational, and transformational leader. She is dedicated to ensuring that her parents’ legacy and teachings, The King Center, as well as the work of creating the Beloved Community, with Nonviolence365™ as the pathway, are introduced to new generations of influencers.
Juneteenth Brunch
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Cultivating A Beloved Community Mindset To Transform Unjust Systems Conversation
12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
It Starts With Me Book Signing
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Music by: Jevetta Steele
Supported by: McKnight Foundation, Thrivent, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Habitat for Humanity, Breakfast Bar of Minnesota, Mortenson, and the African American Leadership Forum
Produced by: OMG Studios
Parking at Westminster Presbyterian Church
There is parking (bicycle and car) at Westminster! The Westminster parking ramp is located on Alice Rainville Place between Nicollet Ave and Marquette. Additional parking is available in other parking ramps and at automated meters on the streets. Westminster is accessible by numerous public transit options. Nice Ride bicycles are also a (great) option.
Parking Map
Registration
Registration is required. $25 admission includes: brunch, an autographed copy of “It Starts With Me,” co-written by Dr. Bernice A. King and Dr. Kimberly P. Johnson
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Golden Valley - Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story (Morning Performance)
2023-06-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Breck School, 123 Ottawa Avenue North, Golden Valley, MN, 55422, United States
In 2021, Juneteenth was written into law as a national day of observance. Following, on February 3rd, 2023, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Minnesota. Although awareness has grown, many people are still unfamiliar with why we celebrate Juneteenth and the insight it offers in addressing current social injustice. Minnesota Humanities Center and Sweet Potato Comfort Pie are proud to bring Kumbayah the Juneteenth Story to the Twin Cities in collaboration with local organizations to include: Breck School, League of Women Voters, Metropolitan State University, Upper Room Community, and the City of Golden Valley.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story from iDream.tv on Vimeo.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story, written by Rose McGee, is a 90-minute fictitious, two-act play that addresses a factual and traumatic time in our history – when news was deliberately withheld that Black people were no longer to be kept as slaves in this country. Storytelling and music weave together mesmerizing scenes. Although tragedy is depicted, this play within a play is tremendously uplifting. The story begins with a Prologue set in the early 1800s in a small West African village where a young mother and her small son are being abducted from their home by slave catchers. Act One: Scene One is set in present time in a popular North Minneapolis soul-food restaurant where a group of youths and adults ultimately end up discussing what Juneteenth means. Before long they all agree to attend a play about Juneteenth. The story then shifts into 1863 on the Turner Plantation in Tyler, Texas with the character Frederick Douglass as Narrator.
Although interpretation is best suited for ages 8 and up, children of all ages are welcome to attend.
Registration
ASL interpretation will be available for the morning performance
The morning performance is free to attend, but registration is highly recommended.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Golden Valley - Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story (Evening Performance)
2023-06-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Breck School, 123 Ottawa Avenue North, Golden Valley, MN, 55422, United States
In 2021, Juneteenth was written into law as a national day of observance. Following, on February 3rd, 2023, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Minnesota. Although awareness has grown, many people are still unfamiliar with why we celebrate Juneteenth and the insight it offers in addressing current social injustice. Minnesota Humanities Center and Sweet Potato Comfort Pie are proud to bring Kumbayah the Juneteenth Story to the Twin Cities in collaboration with local organizations to include: Breck School, League of Women Voters, Metropolitan State University, Upper Room Community, and the City of Golden Valley.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story from iDream.tv on Vimeo.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story, written by Rose McGee, is a 90-minute fictitious, two-act play that addresses a factual and traumatic time in our history – when news was deliberately withheld that Black people were no longer to be kept as slaves in this country. Storytelling and music weave together mesmerizing scenes. Although tragedy is depicted, this play within a play is tremendously uplifting. The story begins with a Prologue set in the early 1800s in a small West African village where a young mother and her small son are being abducted from their home by slave catchers. Act One: Scene One is set in present time in a popular North Minneapolis soul-food restaurant where a group of youths and adults ultimately end up discussing what Juneteenth means. Before long they all agree to attend a play about Juneteenth. The story then shifts into 1863 on the Turner Plantation in Tyler, Texas with the character Frederick Douglass as Narrator.
Although interpretation is best suited for ages 8 and up, children of all ages are welcome to attend.
Registration
The evening performance is free to attend, but registration is highly recommended.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Peter - Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story
2023-06-19 17:30 - 19:30 | St. Peter High School, 2121 Broadway Ave, St. Peter, MN, 56082, United States
In 2021, Juneteenth was written into law as a national day of observance. Following, on February 3rd, 2023, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Minnesota. Although awareness has grown, many people are still unfamiliar with why we celebrate Juneteenth and the insight it offers in addressing current social injustice. Minnesota Humanities Center and Sweet Potato Comfort Pie are proud to bring Kumbayah the Juneteenth Story to St. Peter and Mankato communities in collaboration with the following local host partners: True Essentials Consulting, Juneteenth Foundation, and St. Peter Area Public Schools.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story from iDream.tv on Vimeo.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story, written by Rose McGee, is a 90-minute fictitious, two-act play that addresses a factual and traumatic time in our history – when news was deliberately withheld that Black people were no longer to be kept as slaves in this country. Storytelling and music weave together mesmerizing scenes. Although tragedy is depicted, this play within a play is tremendously uplifting. The story begins with a Prologue set in the early 1800s in a small West African village where a young mother and her small son are being abducted from their home by slave catchers. Act One: Scene One is set in present time in a popular North Minneapolis soul-food restaurant where a group of youths and adults ultimately end up discussing what Juneteenth means. Before long they all agree to attend a play about Juneteenth. The story then shifts into 1863 on the Turner Plantation in Tyler, Texas with the character Frederick Douglass as Narrator.
Although interpretation is best suited for ages 8 and up, children of all ages are welcome to attend.
Registration
The evening performance is free to attend, but registration is highly recommended.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Minneapolis - We Are Water MN
2023-06-22 - 2023-08-14 | Augsburg University, Oren Gateway Center Lobby, 610 22nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, 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: Somali Museum of Minnesota
Exhibit hours
Oren Gateway Center lobby hours; Somali Museum staff will be with the exhibit on Saturdays.
Tuesday: Noon to 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday: Noon to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday: Noon to 7:00 p.m.
Friday: Noon to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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 - Learning from Place: Slow Roll'n Rondo, led by Cultural Wellness Center
2023-06-22 18:00 - 20:30 | Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, 270 North Kent Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55102, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center is proud to feature Slow Roll’n Rondo, a program of the Cultural Wellness Center. Join members of the diverse, multi-generational, and intersectional Rondo Community as you explore the opportunities and possibilities of an African American Cultural Enterprise District connected by a land bridge. This is a community-led development process designed to achieve the aspirations of the Rondo community to right past wrongs, revitalize Rondo, and honor African American Cultural contributions that have sustained the Rondo Community and will serve as a model for restorative participatory community development.
Explore a journey through the community’s history and into the future during a conversationally-paced biking experience. You will get to know the places, people, and possibilities that will lead to a vibrant future. Special guests may include Seitu Jones, Commissioner Toni Carter, Mr. Marvin Anderson, and Mayor, Melvin Carter along with members of his staff.
The evening will include a community meal featuring Black chefs and food grown in community gardens.
The event starts at Hallie Q Brown Community Center parking lot at 270 North Kent Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102.
The Cultural Wellness Center offers experiential learning opportunities that actively boost well-being, improve relationships, build communities, and train organizations.
Registration
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Rochester - Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story
2023-06-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester, MN, 55904, United States
In 2021, Juneteenth was written into law as a national day of observance. Following, on February 3rd, 2023, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Minnesota. Although awareness has grown, many people are still unfamiliar with why we celebrate Juneteenth and the insight it offers in addressing current social injustice. Minnesota Humanities Center and Sweet Potato Comfort Pie are proud to bring Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story to Rochester area communities in collaboration with the following local organizations: Mayo Clinic, Rochester Branch of the NAACP, and Rochester Public Schools.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story from iDream.tv on Vimeo.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story, written by Rose McGee, is a 90-minute fictitious, two-act play that addresses a factual and traumatic time in our history – when news was deliberately withheld that Black people were no longer to be kept as slaves in this country. Storytelling and music weave together mesmerizing scenes. Although tragedy is depicted, this play within a play is tremendously uplifting. The story begins with a Prologue set in the early 1800s in a small West African village where a young mother and her small son are being abducted from their home by slave catchers. Act One: Scene One is set in present time in a popular North Minneapolis soul-food restaurant where a group of youths and adults ultimately end up discussing what Juneteenth means. Before long they all agree to attend a play about Juneteenth. The story then shifts into 1863 on the Turner Plantation in Tyler, Texas with the character Frederick Douglass as Narrator.
Although interpretation is best suited for ages 8 and up, children of all ages are welcome to attend.
Registration
The evening performance is free to attend, but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Cloud - Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story
2023-06-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Marcus Theatres, 1533 Frontage Road North, Waite Park, MN, 56387, United States
In 2021, Juneteenth was written into law as a national day of observance. Following, on February 3rd, 2023, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Minnesota. Although awareness has grown, many people are still unfamiliar with why we celebrate Juneteenth and the insight it offers in addressing current social injustice. Minnesota Humanities Center and Sweet Potato Comfort Pie are proud to bring Kumbayah the Juneteenth Story to St. Cloud area communities in collaboration with host partner United Way of Central Minnesota and local organizations.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story from iDream.tv on Vimeo.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story, written by Rose McGee, is a 90-minute fictitious, two-act play that addresses a factual and traumatic time in our history – when news was deliberately withheld that Black people were no longer to be kept as slaves in this country. Storytelling and music weave together mesmerizing scenes. Although tragedy is depicted, this play within a play is tremendously uplifting. The story begins with a Prologue set in the early 1800s in a small West African village where a young mother and her small son are being abducted from their home by slave catchers. Act One: Scene One is set in present time in a popular North Minneapolis soul-food restaurant where a group of youths and adults ultimately end up discussing what Juneteenth means. Before long they all agree to attend a play about Juneteenth. The story then shifts into 1863 on the Turner Plantation in Tyler, Texas with the character Frederick Douglass as Narrator.
Although interpretation is best suited for ages 8 and up, children of all ages are welcome to attend.
Registration
The evening performance is free to attend, but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Learning from Place: LGBTQ+ History in Downtown Minneapolis
2023-07-08 09:00 - 12:00 | Loring Community Arts Center, 1382 Willow Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
Minneapolis-Saint Paul is far from being flyover country; our metro area has some of the richest and deepest LGBTQ+ history in all of North America. Grow your understanding of this history with an interactive, in-person walking tour of downtown/central Minneapolis, an area deeply entangled with LGBTQ+ people’s stories, movements, and place in the world.
Be immersed by traveling through downtown Minneapolis, interspersing history with storytelling from local LGBTQ+ activists and artists. Learn about how down-and-out drifters in the notorious Gateway District helped shape a Twin Cities gay identity, how lesbians threw parties in deserted industrial warehouses, how gay and lesbian political power was built in response to police raids, and how one of the first Pride festivals grew from a ragtag group marching up Nicollet Mall.
We hope you’ll come along!
This event is a collaboration with Telling Queer History.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
K-12 educators will receive 3 clock hours.
This experience involves approximately 2 miles of walking and standing, starting and ending at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Audio headsets will be provided for amplification of the tour guide and storytellers.
This event is open to all. Members of Minnesota’s LGBTQ+ community are welcome to register using promo code LGBTQ-HISTORY to waive the fee if they wish.
To ensure that cost is not a barrier, we have a limited number of complimentary spaces available for all Minnesota residents. If you would like to receive a complimentary spot, please register with the promo code FEEWAIVER.
Registration for this event has SOLD OUT.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Paul - Critical Conversation: Starting with the Indigenous | Emphasis on Place
2023-07-10 18:00 - 20:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
What connects us to this place? How does the history of this place inform who we are and how we connect with each other? Join Indigenous leaders Kate Beane, Executive Director of the Minnesota Museum of American Art, and Christina Woods, Executive Director of the Duluth Art Institute, who will engage participants in deep dialogue about Indigenous issues related to place and land. Participants will learn from Dakota and Ojibwe community members, through stories and histories often left out of public narratives, how art helps us create deeper meaning and connections.
Refreshments and a light meal will be served. This event is part of a series of Critical Conversations, created in partnership with Public Art Saint Paul’s 2023 Wakpa Triennial Art Festival.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Duluth - Minnesota Writers Series: The Sky Watched
2023-07-12 17:30 - 19:30 | American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO), 202 West 2nd Street, Duluth, MN, 55802, United States
Author and poet Linda LeGarde Grover will be joining the Minnesota Writers Series for a special event in Duluth. In addition to reading selections from her recently re-released collection, The Sky Watched: Poems of Ojibwe Lives (University of Minnesota Press, 2022), Grover will also join in conversation with Dr. Jill M. Doerfler, head of American Indian Studies at University of Minnesota-Duluth, about the joys and complexities of leading a life devoted to writing and poetry, and the ways in which poetry has connected her further to her Native culture. In celebration of poets at all stages of their writing journey, during the second half of the event, members of the audience will be invited to share their own poetry as time allows. Co-sponsored by the American Indian Community Housing Organization, also the host site for this event.
About the book: The Sky Watched is a collective memoir in poetry of an Ojibwe family and tribal community, from creation myth to this day, updated with new poems. The collection gives poetic voice, in English and Ojibwe, those assembled here—voices of history, of memory and experience, of children and elders, Indian boarding school students, tribal storytellers, and the Manidoog, the unseen beings who surround our lives—come together to create a collective memoir in poetry as expansive and particular as the starry sky.
About the author: Linda LeGarde Grover is professor emerita of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth and a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Her books The Road Back to Sweetgrass, Onigamiising: Seasons of an Ojibwe Year, In the Night of Memory, and Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories from Misaabekong, all from Minnesota, have earned numerous awards, including the Native Writers Circle of the Americas First Book Award; Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards for poetry, memoir, and fiction; and a Minnesota Book Award for memoir and creative nonfiction. Her book of stories The Dance Boots received the Flannery O’Connor Award and the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize.
About the moderator: Jill Doerfler is a professor and department head of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her primary area of scholarly interest is American Indian identity with a focus on Anishinaabe citizenship.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Paul - Shakespeare in our Parks: Much Ado About Nothing
2023-07-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Minnesota Humanities Center is pleased to host Classical Actors Ensemble as they bring their 9th season of Shakespeare in Our Parks live theater to MHC’s lawn. This year’s play, which will travel to over 15 locations across the Twin Cities, will be William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” In this classic romantic comedy of manners, a Prince and his soldiers returning from a long campaign bring excitement, intrigue, and passion to a rural town. Can callow youths and jaded exes both find love when malicious gossip is afoot?
Picnics, lawn chairs, sunbrellas, and blankets are welcome. Please note that the performance is in an open field with minimal shade. Please plan accordingly. Can’t make that date? Check out Classical Actors Ensemble’s full calendar for other performance across the Twin Cities this summer.
From Classical Actors Ensemble: “The Theater is a sacred place. It is a public forum where actors and audience gather to contemplate what it means to be human. Shakespeare and his contemporaries grappled with that question in some of the English language’s best poetry, leaving behind a canon of compelling stories with universal themes that provide invigorating challenge for actors and an awe-inspiring legacy for audiences. Classical Actors Ensemble performs the plays of the English Renaissance as they were originally intended: as popular entertainment for everyone. By demonstrating why these works of art are considered classic, we freshly prove their relevance in today’s world.”
Registration
Registration is appreciated on the Classical Actors Ensemble website but not required.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Paul - Critical Conversation: Stories I Didn't Know
2023-07-17 18:00 - 20:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The award-winning documentary, “Stories I Didn’t Know,” follows the story of Saint Paul resident Rita Davern as she uncovers uneasy truths of her Irish ancestors and their ownership of Pike Island, sacred land to the Dakota people. Join us for a special screening of the film followed by a community conversation with Rita Davern, Ramona Kitto Stately, and Reuben Kitto Stately. Reflect on how one person’s discovery of truth can create a significant positive impact on personal and statewide levels. Consider the transgressions made by the federal government and non-Native leaders and how together we can confront current systemic failures as we work to create a more just Minnesota.
Refreshments and a light meal will be served. This event is part of a series of Critical Conversations, created in partnership with Public Art Saint Paul’s 2023 Wakpa Triennial Art Festival.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Paul - Critical Conversation: The Art and Response to Castile and Floyd
2023-07-26 18:00 - 20:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Art has the power to help communities process and heal. Two of Minnesota’s leading artists are lighting the way forward as we process deep pain and confusion and setting us on a path of healing after the murders of Mr. Philando Castile and Mr. George Floyd. Be part of a Critical Conversation with gifted artists Ta-coumba T. Aiken and Seitu Ken Jones as they reflect on creating art in these tumultuous times, how art sparks change at personal and societal levels, and how we build our futures in the Twin Cities with equity and inclusion so that everyone thrives. Minnesota Humanities Center CEO Kevin Lindsey will host this interactive and vibrant conversation.
Refreshments and a 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

St. Paul - Teachability Factors in General and Special Education: Harnessing Adult Data for Change
2023-07-27 09:00 - 15:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Join us for a special training for building and district administrators and school board leaders with Dr. Keith Mayes and Maria Roberts on Teachability Factors and Adult Data in General and Special Education.
As school districts examine and employ student data in the modification of their classroom practices, few researchers have called for a deep examination of adult data, and how it can be harnessed for change. Through the lens of racialized special education, this session will examine a broad spectrum of adult data in the areas of tolerability, efficacy, mindset, and relationships. We will demonstrate that when we refuse to look at school wide or adult data, we run the risk of believing students and families are inherently flawed. Educators most often find these “flaws” in our minoritized students and communities. When we refuse to interrogate the system, we believe it is functioning appropriately. We transfer the “problems of a system” to create the “problem student.”
During this workshop, participants will:

Deepen their knowledge of the racialized history of special education and make connections to current practice.
Reflect on current instructional practices and teachability factors in order to improve support for effective instruction.
Identify current sorting and removal practices within their own districts that create inequitable outcomes within both special and general education.
Consider how the implementation of tools or practices have either replicated or changed student outcomes.

This event is open to all Minnesota superintendents, school board members, equity directors, principals, district-level administrators, special education directors and assistant directors.
Registration fee includes:

Continental breakfast, lunch, and snack
6 CEUs
A copy of “The Unteachables: Disability Rights and the Invention of Black Special Education” ($30 value)

Dr. Keith Mayes is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota; former chair of the Department of African American & African Studies; and the Horace T. Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor. Dr. Mayes earned his Ph.D. in History from Princeton University. His teaching and research interests include the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements; education policy and history; and the history of African Americans. Dr. Mayes published a new book entitled, The Unteachables: Disability Rights and the Invention of Black Special Education (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2023).
Dr. Mayes provides consultant, professional development, and training services in the areas of DEI; curriculum development; ethnic and social studies, and special education. Some of his current and former clients include the Omaha Public Schools; Minneapolis Public Schools; St. Paul Public Schools; District 196-Apple Valley, Eagan, Rosemount Public Schools; Independent School; District 194 (Lakeville, MN); District 833-South Washington County Schools; Anoka-Hennepin Schools; Stillwater Area High School; Mankato Area Public Schools; National Geographic; the History Channel; the Minnesota Humanities Center; and the Minnesota Department of Education. Dr. Mayes has lectured widely throughout the Twin Cities Metro area in K-12 schools, churches, municipal governments and corporations. He has appeared on various media outlets, such as MSNBC, CBS, KMOJ, KARE-11 News, WCCO Channel 4, KSTP, Minnesota Public Radio, Radio Minnesota, KFAI, and National Public Radio.
Maria Roberts has worked in public K-12 educational systems for over 20 years. She began her career as a middle school special education teacher and has worked in federal settings I, II and III. She has experience in serving at all three school levels (elementary, middle and high school) and has served in both urban and suburban school districts. She has held leadership positions at both the district and school level including AVID District Director, Equity Director, and Associate Principal. She is the current principal of Wilshire Park Elementary School in the St. Anthony-New Brighton School District.Each experience has provided her the opportunity to successfully evaluate and implement equitable policy and practices resulting in changes in curriculum and instruction, grading and discipline practices.
In addition to her work in school systems, she actively supports learning and leadership among colleagues and values partnership between practitioners and academics. For the past five years, she has served as the Senior Facilitator for the Culturally Responsive School Leadership Institute and is a facilitator for the MN Principals Academy where, in partnership, she designed the culturally responsive leadership strand.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Learning from Place: St. Paul's Little Africa
2023-07-27 11:00 - 14:00 | Snelling Cafe and Restaurant, 638 Snelling Ave N, St. Paul, 55104
Minnesota is home to over 150,000 Africans, including the largest Somali population outside of Africa. Yet, many people are not aware of the rich cultural traditions and assets African immigrants and refugees bring to the vibrancy of our state. Build your cultural understanding and awareness of Minnesota’s East African cultures as you immerse yourself within St. Paul’s Little Africa cultural corridor. This interactive, in-person experience will include an Ethiopian coffee ceremony at Sabrina’s Cafe & Deli, a tour of several African-owned businesses, and lunch at the Eritrean-owned Snelling Cafe.
This event is a collaboration with African Economic Development Solutions.
Registration
Space is limited to 40 participants.
K-12 educators will receive 3 clock hours.
If cost is a barrier, please contact Jessica Rust at jessica@mnhum.org before registering.
Members of Minnesota’s African communities are welcome to register using promo code LITTLEAFRICA to waive the fee if they wish.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Paul - Minnesota Writers Series: Rose McGee Children's Book Release
2023-08-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Minnesota Humanities Center, in partnership with Minnesota Historical Society Press, is pleased to host the launch of Rose McGee’s new children’s book, “Can’t Nobody Make a Sweet Potato Pie Like Our Mama!” The author and the book’s illustrator, Christopheraaron Deanes, will read from the book and participate in a moderated discussion around themes related to food and family. Freddie Bell, KMOJ radio personality and Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee, will moderate the discussion. The author and illustrator will be available for a book signing and discussion at a reception following the event. Books will be available for purchase from Black Garnet Books. Part of the Minnesota Writers Series.
About the Book
In Rose McGee’s charming picture book (3-7 age range), young Marie and Landon think that their grandmother, “Mama,” makes the best sweet potato pies ever. The twins sometimes wonder if there might be some magic involved. Neighbors dealing with bad news or struggling with loss stop by for a slice. Sharing the pies—their sweet aroma, their familiar texture—in Mama’s warm home brings them comfort. The twins marvel at the neighbors’ transformation. Maybe, the twins realize, the magic isn’t in the pies. Maybe it’s in their mama.
About the Author and Illustrator
Rose McGee’s touching story expands on her own work building community and relationships through her “baketivism” as the leader of the nonprofit Sweet Potato Comfort Pie. She is a well-known facilitator, the playwright behind “Kumbayah: The Juneteenth Story,” one of Minnesota’s 50 Over 50, and a 2019 Bush Fellow. Her work has been featured in the national PBS documentary, “A Few Good Pie Places,” and in the TEDx Talk, “The Power of Pie.”
Christopheraaron Deanes is an artist and educator working to build creative equitable spaces that support and engage communities. As an artist, Christopheraaron is represented in local galleries and has created metal enamel sculptures as well as murals sited throughout the Twin Cities. As an educator, he works in the administration offices at Fridley Public Schools and with communities of color around Minneapolis and St. Paul. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Cara, and five amazing children.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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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

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
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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

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 - 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 - 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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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.

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.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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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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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
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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