Online - True Tuesday: Coordinating a Multifaith Response to Hate Based Discrimination and Violence in MN
2023-09-19 14:30 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | 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
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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
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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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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 - 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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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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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.
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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.

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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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.
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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 – 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 - 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

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.

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.

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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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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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 & 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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The Great Northern Festival - Learning from Place: Bdote
2024-01-28 13:00 - 15:00, 2024-02-04 13:00 - 15:00 | 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.
Register Now

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.
Register Now

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 - Feeding Our Souls: The Essence of Black Joy
2024-02-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Minnesota Humanities Center is excited to host, “Feeding Our Souls, the Essence of Cultural Joy,” food series. Food has always played a pivotal role in shaping our identities and communities. It binds families, showcases heritage, and promotes understanding. Our program delves into this unique intersection of food and culture, inviting participants to explore the rich narratives behind every dish. Join us at the Minnesota Humanities Center, where beloved local chefs and cooks will showcase dishes that speak about their cultural backgrounds. Through interactive “taste circles” attendees will be encouraged to share their own memories and traditions related to food, further enriching a collective experience.
Our first event in recognition of Black History Month is Feeding Our Souls, the Essence of Black Joy. Participants will engage in the cultural richness of food, music, and historical research that defines the essence of Black joy.
Featured Chef – Chef Gerard Klass’ culinary expertise is inspired by the richness of his Caribbean and African American heritage. Prior to co-founding Soul Bowl with his wife Brittney, he had over 10 years of experience at Kaskaid Hospitality as Executive Chef where he opened new restaurant concepts in the South, East Coast and Midwest. Soul Bowl has been featured in a number of local, regional and national publications and was awarded one of the top 50 restaurants in Minnesota by Minneapolis Saint Paul Magazine two years in a row.
Food Commentary – Steven Montomery is a social studies/ethnic studies content lead for the Minneapolis Public Schools and designed lessons for educators with a creative approach to teaching the richness and history of Black cuisine. Steven’s family upbringing influenced his interest in food stories that led to his passion for finding ways to inspire students to expand their own pride, self-identity and confidence in themselves.
Special Performance – Ginger Commodore is a singer, songwriter, & actress. She performs jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, contemporary, and gospel music and regularly appears at local club venues The Dakota Jazz Club & Crooners Supper Club. Ginger is also currently a Teaching Artist with the Vocal Essence Witness Program.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Online - Refraction: A Gender and Sexuality Discussion Series
2024-02-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Session 1: Book Bans and the Freedom to Read
Issues related to gender and sexuality continue to be paramount in many areas, including politics, law, health care, parenting, identity, and social justice. In this three-part discussion series, we will consider how gender and sexuality are refracted, or how their meaning and social expression are changing and moving as we think through the topics of book bans, transgender rights, and masculinity.
Books continue to be banned or challenged across the nation, and Minnesota is not exempt in that respect. Book bans have risen by a third over the past year in public schools, and many of these bans are targeting LGBTQ+ characters, themes, and intersectional identities. This session of Refraction: A Gender and Sexuality Discussion Series will examine the controversy over sexuality and book bans and provide an opportunity to hear directly from authors whose work has been challenged. Quatrefoil Library, a library and queer gathering space in the Twin Cities, will be in conversation with J.J. Austrian, author of Worm Loves Worm, Trung Le Nguyen, author of The Magic Fish, and Junauda Petrus, author of The Stars and the Blackness Between Them.
What you can expect from this series:

Scholars, experts, community members, and authors will share what the landscape looks like nationally and in Minnesota, as well as talk about their personal experiences and perspectives.
Each session will have a resource list of articles, books, and organizations to help you gain a deeper understanding of the issues at hand.
Engage in small and large group discussions as well as exploring ways to effect change and take action.

Registration
Registration is required. There is no cost to attend; sign up for one or all three sessions. Each session will take place virtually; a zoom link will be sent closer to the date of the session.
Educators can receive CEU’s for attending.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Online - Refraction: A Gender and Sexuality Discussion Series
2024-02-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Session 2: Transgender Justice
Issues related to gender and sexuality continue to be paramount in many areas, including politics, law, health care, parenting, identity, and social justice. In this three-part discussion series, we will consider how gender and sexuality are refracted, or how their meaning and social expression are changing and moving as we think through the topics of book bans, transgender rights, and masculinity.
In this session of Refraction: A Gender and Sexuality Discussion Series, our speakers will help to set the stage on the current landscape of transgender rights and issues nationally, and what is happening specifically within Minnesota. Brittany Stewart from Gender Justice, a Minnesota based organization advancing gender equity through the law, will be joined by Máel Embser-Herbert, professor emeritus, U.S. Army Veteran and an editor of With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Troops in Their Own Words, which shares personal stories from transgender people fighting for their right to serve in the U.S. military.
What you can expect from this series:

Scholars, experts, community members, and authors will share what the landscape looks like nationally and in Minnesota, as well as talk about their personal experiences and perspectives.
Each session will have a resource list of articles, books, and organizations to help you gain a deeper understanding of the issues at hand.
Engage in small and large group discussions as well as exploring ways to effect change and take action.

Registration
Registration is required. There is no cost to attend; sign up for one or all three sessions. Each session will take place virtually; a zoom link will be sent closer to the date of the session.
Educators can receive CEU’s for attending.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Prior Lake - Understand Native Minnesota Educator Academy
2024-02-21 08:30 - 16:00 | Mystic Lake Center, 2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard NW, Prior Lake, MN, 55372, United States
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, through its Understand Native Minnesota campaign, is hosting two free Educator Academy events on February 21 and March 14, from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. These one-day events offer professional development workshops to introduce K-12 educators to a variety of ways to teach Native American topics in classroom settings. They are intended for educators in Minnesota and will feature Native American authors, artists, and education experts. Continuing Education credits for teachers and administrators will be offered.
These events will be held at Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Attendance is free of charge and meals (breakfast and lunch) will be provided. Each event is limited to 300 participants. These are the final Educator Academy events to be offered by the SMSC’s Understand Native Minnesota campaign.
The Minnesota Humanities Center will be presenting on Teaching American Indian Content to All, as well as tabling. If you plan to attend, please come by and say hello!
Registration
Registration Questions: info@understandnativemn.org
Register Now

St. Paul & Online - Minnesota Writers Series: Through the Banks of the Red Cedar
2024-02-24 14:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Join us for the February 2024 edition of the Minnesota Writers Series as we welcome multidisciplinary artist, Maya Washington, who will discuss her documentary film, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar,” and memoir, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game.” Through film clips, book readings, and conversation, Maya will highlight her bond with and appreciation for her father, Gene Washington, a celebrated professional athlete who came of age during the peak of the civil rights movement. Maya will be joined by noted author and educator, Dr. Artika Tyner, who will moderate the discussion.
Maya Washington will be available for book signing and conversation after the event. “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game,” will be available for purchase at the event.
About the Book
“Through the Banks of the Red Cedar” follows Maya Washington’s path towards understanding the legacy of her father, Gene Washington. Maya retraces her father’s journey from the segregated south to Michigan State University during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and his journey as a groundbreaking NFL player after the 1967 draft. Through the memoir, Maya reflects on the influence her father’s childhood had on her upbringing, the emotional bond of teammates and friends, and the deepened connection she has to her family and football.
About the Author
Maya Washington is an award-winning, multi-hyphenate artist: writer, poet, director, narrative and documentary filmmaker (writer/director/producer), actress, creative director, visualist (photography), and arts educator. Her background, on stage/camera and behind the scenes, has given her the opportunity to work on everything from public art, live theatre, commercials and print ads, to web series, films and television. Maya received a BA in Dramatic Arts from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University. As a writer, Maya’s poetry and prose have been featured in a number of literary journals and notable anthologies including “The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2 : Black Girl Magic” (Haymarket Books 2018), “Nothing To Lose But Our Chains: Black Voices on Activism, Resistance and Love” (Justice Matters Press, 2018), and “The Beiging of America: Personal Narratives About Being Mixed Race in the Twenty-First Century” (2Leaf Press, 2017). Additionally, Maya received a Pushcart nomination from The Under Review literary journal for her poetry inspired by the historic MLK Tennis Buffs of St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood. She is the editor of “White Space Poetry Anthology” featuring the work of deaf and hearing poets as a companion to her award-winning short film starring Ryan Lane, “White Space.” Her award-winning film, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar,” about her father Vikings Legend Gene Washington and the desegregation of college football aired on the Big Ten Network and is currently available on PBS platforms. Her memoir, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game,” is an Amazon Editor’s pick for Best History, and was a 2023 Finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. As a freelance tv and film director, Maya has directed episodes of the Fox series “The Killer Next Door,” History Channel’s “I Was There,” and the PBS Kids series “Black SciGirls.”
Besides being her first memoir, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game” is also a documentary, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar,” directed, produced, and written by Maya. The documentary is available on PBS platforms including PBS Documentaries Channel through Amazon Prime, Comcast, and iTunes. The film has been shown at community screenings and film festivals across the country. A curriculum for communities and educators is available at throughthebanksoftheredcedar.com.
About the Moderator
Advocate, attorney, author, and educator Dr. Artika Tyner is committed to creating a more inclusive and racially and economically just world. She received her BA from Hamline University and her JD, Master of Public Policy, and EdD from the University of St. Thomas. A prolific author, Dr. Tyner has written books for children and adults promoting literacy, cultural awareness, and leadership development. She is the founder and director of the nonprofit Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute.
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
Attend In-Person
Attend Online

Online - Refraction: A Gender and Sexuality Discussion Series
2024-02-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Session 3: Detoxing Masculinity
Issues related to gender and sexuality continue to be paramount in many areas, including politics, law, health care, parenting, identity, and social justice. In this three-part discussion series, we will consider how gender and sexuality are refracted, or how their meaning and social expression are changing and moving as we think through the topics of book bans, transgender rights, and masculinity.
Many experts agree that the men and boys of the United States are not ok. By many measures they are falling behind and many of the impacts are less widely talked about. This session of Refraction: A Gender and Sexuality Discussion Series will seek to pull apart the term toxic masculinity and look instead at detoxing masculinity. Hamline Professor Ryan Jerome LeCount will talk about masculinity and its social expression, particularly in the area of politics and social change in Minnesota and the United States. He will be joined by author Jeremy Norton, who recently published Trauma Sponges, a first-hand account of his experience working as an EMT in the emergency response sector, and what it means for a male-dominated industry to be both full of bravura heroics and deal with intense trauma on a daily basis.
What you can expect from this series:

Scholars, experts, community members, and authors will share what the landscape looks like nationally and in Minnesota, as well as talk about their personal experiences and perspectives.
Each session will have a resource list of articles, books, and organizations to help you gain a deeper understanding of the issues at hand.
Engage in small and large group discussions as well as exploring ways to effect change and take action.

Registration
Registration is required. There is no cost to attend; sign up for one or all three sessions. Each session will take place virtually; a zoom link will be sent closer to the date of the session.
Educators can receive CEU’s for attending.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Dakota and Ojibwe Languages Symposium
2024-02-29 - 2024-03-01 | Treasure Island Resort, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd, Welch, MN, 55089, United States
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council’s Language Revitalization Working Group, partnering with the Minnesota Humanities Center, is hosting the 3rd annual Dakota & Ojibwe Languages Symposium! This two-day symposium will be held on Thursday, Feb. 29th and Friday, March 1st at Treasure Island Resort and Casino. The goal of the symposium is to bring people working in Dakota and Ojibwe language revitalization together. We will use this time to celebrate successes, highlight the current state of the field, shape future language revitalization efforts, and elevate the visibility of Indigenous languages throughout the state of Minnesota. By bringing people together, we hope this symposium serves as an opportunity for individuals to network with other Dakota and Ojibwe language professionals. The symposium will be held in-person and virtually for participants.
Registration
Breakfast and lunch are included for those attending in person. Participants are responsible for booking their own overnight accommodations if needed and can call Treasure Island Resort at 1-888-867-7829.
CEU’s will be available for educators attending the symposium.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org | MHC Cancellation Policy
In-person spots have been filled. There are still spots available to attend virtually.
Register Now
Exhibitor Application
If you’re interested in tabling at the symposium, please complete the online application. We are willing to accommodate as many as we can. Priority will be given to those focusing on language revitalization. The final decision on selection will be determined by the Working Group.
Please note: No sales will be allowed at symposium. This application is meant for informational/educational booths that are handing out free information and literature, not selling items.
If you have any questions, please email skyler.kuczaboski@state.mn.us or call/text 651-304-4149.
Apply Online
