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

December 9, 2021 4:44 PM

Photos: Protesters march for Daunte Wright during Kimberly Potter's trial

Community members gathered for a rally during Kimberly Potter’s trial to demand justice for Daunte Wright, who was killed by Potter. Among the demonstrators was Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake who was shot and paralyzed by police in Kenosha, Wis., in August 2020.

by MPR News Staff

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December 9, 2021 2:05 PM

Analysis of early testimony in the Potter trial from a criminal justice professor

The trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter for the killing of Daunte Wright is in its second day of testimony. For analysis of what’s happened so far, host Cathy Wurzer was joined by Kami Chavis, professor of law and director of the Criminal Justice Program at Wake Forest University.

by Cathy Wurzer and Melissa Townsend

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December 9, 2021 1:40 PM

What comes next for police reform in Minnesota?

Opening statements started this week in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter. Potter is charged with manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man. MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with reporters about the trial and the future of public safety reform in Minnesota

by Angela Davis and Samantha Matsumoto

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December 7, 2021 4:20 PM

Native American students unearth troubled history at U of M Morris

Archival research suggests as many as seven students from the Morris Industrial School for Indians could be buried on campus. Today, Native American students attend the university for free — but there’s a cost to reckoning with the site’s troubled history.

by Tiffany Bui

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December 7, 2021 4:00 AM

Data analysts proved what Black Pittsburgh knew about COVID's racial disparities

Community leaders saw early in the pandemic that the city's residents of color were being hit hard by COVID-19. They worked with data analysts to show just how hard, where and why.

by Christine Spolar

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December 1, 2021 11:53 AM

A tough case for the MN Supreme Court: Voting rights for those on probation, supervised release

More than 50,000 Minnesotans — many of them Black, Indigenous and people of color — are kept from voting while on probation or supervised release after incarceration. The Minnesota Supreme Court is hearing a case about their voting rights; MPR’s Brian Bakst brought host Cathy Wurzer the story.

by Cathy Wurzer

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November 30, 2021 11:23 AM

As Potter trial begins, Brooklyn Center mulls funding for public safety overhaul

At a meeting Monday night, the city council discussed one proposal that would pull more than a million dollars from the police budget and use it to fund reform measures. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Mayor Elliott for an update.

by Cathy Wurzer and MPR News Staff

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November 29, 2021 2:32 PM

Panel aims to stop violence against African American women

Minnesota officials launched the state’s new Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women on Monday. The group will spend the next year looking at the systemic causes of violence against Black women and then recommend policy changes.

by Tim Pugmire

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November 29, 2021 9:00 AM

Some immigrant parents say St. Paul school closures would hurt their communities

Somali American parents in St. Paul say a plan to close Highwood Hills Elementary would endanger a neighborhood hub. Latino parents say they weren’t included in the decision to close Wellstone Elementary. With a school-board vote coming soon, immigrant parents want to be heard.

by Becky Z. Dernbach

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November 29, 2021 6:33 AM

Explainer: What are the charges ex-cop Kimberly Potter faces?

Prosecutors argue that Kimberly Potter, who quit the Brooklyn Center police force two days after the shooting, committed first- and second-degree manslaughter when she killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during an April 11 traffic stop.

by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press

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