Race: Conversations around race and racial justice

Here are the latest on the fight against racism, voices calling for racial justice and in-depth stories on communities of color and other racial issues from MPR News.

Voices of Minnesota Calls for change across the state

Protests and pain The killing of George Floyd

Call To Mind Spotlight on black trauma and policing

Amplifying voices Share your experiences and hopes for the future

Clint Smith on how to reckon with slavery as America's original sin
Clint Smith’s acclaimed book, “How the Word Is Passed,” is now out in paperback. In it, he examines how slavery has been central in shaping our country’s collective history, and ourselves.
From the archives: Naima Coster on her novel 'What's Mine and Yours'
This Friday, Big Books and Bold Ideas will feature Clint Smith, celebrated author of “How the Word is Passed,” which powerfully examines the legacy of slavery in America. Kerri Miller’s conversation with Naima Coster in 2021 trod a similar path, only Coster used a fiction lens to look at effects of segregation in her novel, “What’s Mine and Yours.”
'Brotherless Night' explores a young Sri Lankan Tamil woman's life, love and idealism set against civil war
Twin Cities writer V.V. Ganeshananthan didn’t expect her second novel to take so long to write. But after almost two decades “Brotherless Night,” a tale set against the Sri Lankan civil war, is drawing critical acclaim. It’s a depiction of a determined young Tamil woman struggling with life, love and family even as her country descends into chaos.
Nelson Mandela's great-grandson on healing racial divides
MPR News host Angela Davis is headed to South Africa for a tour of the country. Before she goes, she talks with Siyabulela Mandela, the great-grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Siyabulela Mandela is a human rights advocate with a lot to say about racial division and healing.
Alan Page brings back 'Testify' exhibit to spark conversations on race
Alan Page is again sharing his popular and provocative exhibit of African American art and artifacts with the public. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the former Minnesota Supreme Court justice and his daughter about the importance of remembering America’s painful racist history.
Future of Us: Creating a new roadmap for justice in the wake of George Floyd
Long-time activist and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong reflects on how the murder of George Floyd, global protests, and a high-profile conviction have transformed the ways we understand and advocate for justice.