Renewed conversations about racial justice

As we remember the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we revisit some of the conversations about racial justice that are happening today.

After George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis last May, parents of Black and brown children were again forced to have “the talk” – conversations with their children about what it means to be racially profiled or mistreated by law enforcement.

There was also an outpouring of support for the Black Live Matter movement, and a desire by a lot of white Minnesotans to do more to help racial justice causes.

Being an ally isn’t about retweeting a hashtag or posting on social media. It’s about doing the work, listening more, reading and educating ourselves to foster real change.

To continue learning, check out Your Black Friends Are Busy — a growing portal of anti-racism resources.

Guests:

• Priska Neely is a journalist. She published an essay called “Please stop ‘checking in on me to see if I’m OK.’”

• Sarah Bellamy is the artistic director at Penumbra Theatre Co. in St. Paul. She published an essay called “Performing Whiteness.”

• Debby Irving is a racial justice educator and author of "Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race." She also created the 21-day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge.

• Jason Sole is a criminal justice educator, professor at Hamline University, past president of the Minneapolis NAACP and co-founder of the Humanize My Hoodie Movement.

• Michael Walker is the director of Black Male Achievement for Minneapolis Public Schools.

Use the audio player above to listen to back to those conversations.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.