North Star Journey

North Star Journey is a celebration of communities in Minnesota and the champions who are doing the work that we should be bringing a voice to. We hope to bring new understandings of our state and what brought us to today. About | Credits

MPR News also hosts North Star Journey Live, an event series discussing topics about what Minnesota’s diverse communities need to thrive. Check it out here.

🎧 Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via RSS link

February 14, 2023 4:00 AM

'Taking up space': Black designers focus on joy in Augsburg exhibition

Through an art exhibition at Augsburg University, Minneapolis designers and curators Olivia House and Silent Fox are developing their canon of the next generation Black designers.

by Alex V. Cipolle

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February 8, 2023 1:29 PM

North Star Journey points to local Black history

MPR News host Angela Davis speaks with MPR News editor Brandt Williams about Black history in the Twin Cities. They share stories from North Star Journey, a celebration of communities in Minnesota and the champions who are doing the work that MPR should be bringing a voice to on the radio.

by Angela Davis, Brandt Williams and Danelle Cloutier

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February 7, 2023 12:00 PM

Two Black Minnesota police chiefs on what went wrong with policing in Memphis

Calls for police reform have stepped up again after Tyre Nichols was fatally beaten last month by officers in Memphis. MPR News Host Angela Davis talks about the future of policing with two Black Minnesota police chiefs, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges and Eagan Police Chief Roger New.

by Angela Davis, Maja Beckstrom and Nicole Johnson

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February 6, 2023 6:38 PM

Future of Us: What's next for education in Minnesota?

Minnesota’s 2020 Teacher of the Year, Qorsho Hassan, on how the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd reshaped shaped her vision for education to center student voice and leadership.

by Tom Crann and Ngoc Bui

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February 3, 2023 4:00 AM

Columbia Heights students mark World Hijab Day

A group of students at Columbia Heights High School came up with a unique way to mark World Hijab Day, giving their peers a chance to ask questions about the traditional head covering or even try one on.

by Elizabeth Shockman

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February 2, 2023 12:17 PM

Can $50 million close the racial wealth gap in Minnesota and the Dakotas?

Generational wealth is real— and so is the wealth gap between white and Black households. Danielle Mkali is Senior Director at Nexus Community Partners and they have $50 million to help. She speaks with host Cathy Wurzer.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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February 1, 2023 12:37 PM

Documentary series traces history of racial injustice, resistance in Twin Cities

Twin Cities Public Television released a documentary called Jim Crow of the North in 2019. A new series by the same name explores more stories about resistance to racial discrimination in the Twin Cities region. It hinges on this question: Why is Minneapolis the epicenter of a global racial reckoning?

by Cathy Wurzer and Ellen Finn

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February 1, 2023 4:00 AM

Snow sisters: Team Kwe, the only all-women Indigenous snow sculpture team in the U.S.

On a freezing January weekend, an all-woman Indigenous snow carving team makes its mark in a physically demanding art form.

by Alex V. Cipolle

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January 31, 2023 1:02 PM

Meet four local arts leaders giving a voice to underrepresented communities

Guest host Jacob Aloi heads into the studios of artists of color, a queer filmmaker and a curator of Latin American Art. They’re all making the art world more inclusive.

by Jacob Aloi, Danelle Cloutier and Nicole Johnson

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January 19, 2023 9:34 AM

'We need each other': Prairie Island, Red Wing start 'Honoring Dakota' mural

The effort is about much more than art itself; it touches on improving indigenous representation in Red Wing, Minn., confronting historical trauma and promoting mental health.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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