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.

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A century after a Black church burned, a call to acknowledge history
More than 100 years ago, arsonists set fire to Brown's Chapel AME Church in Hastings. On Sunday, members of the community —  including a descendant of the congregation — came out to First Presbyterian Church in Hastings to remember the historic church and acknowledge the legacy of racism that stoked the fire which burned the building. 
How do you motivate people who have never voted before to show up at the polls? For this special In Focus discussion, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Secretary of State Steve Simon and two young organizers working to inform and encourage new voters to participate in democracy.
Radio program reaches out to Latinos living ‘between worlds’
As the state’s Latino community continues to grow it’s becoming more important to provide relevant news and information on a wider scale. To do that, a grassroots organization has begun an app-based radio station to keep Latinos in Minnesota up to date.
Born 100 years ago and raised in Minnesota, Oscar Pettiford changed the sound of American music
Jazz pioneer Oscar Pettiford got his start on the stages of the Twin Cities, helping create a "Minneapolis sound" long before Prince. His innovations made him one of the most influential bass players of the bebop era. A century after his birth, that legacy endures.
Research shows that people of color are far less likely to engage in nature-based outdoor recreation activities than their white peers. During this In Focus discussion from the Minnesota State Fair, host Twila Dang discusses the so-called nature gap and what to do about it, with outdoor equity experts Anthony Taylor and Asha Shoffner.
Rondo’s ‘lady of line dance’ keeps community moving
For Tina Jackson, teaching soul line dancing is how she gives back to her community. Her childhood mentors helped Jackson get started as a teacher and over the years she has built a community of dancers from everywhere she goes. 
El amor en una mazorca: El ritual de los tamales convierte a los amigos en familia
Durante siglos, la comida y la alimentación han ayudado a conectar vidas y culturas. Como parte del proyecto North Star Journey, MPR News se puso en contacto con la escritora gastronómica de las Ciudades Gemelas, Mecca Bos, para que compartiera algunas historias sobre platos culturales emblemáticos y sobre cómo los rituales de elaboración y consumo de alimentos pueden unir a las personas.