Social Issues

AP-NORC poll: Police violence remains high concern in U.S.
It's been a year since George Floyd's murder at the hands of a white police officer sparked global protests and a racial reckoning. A poll released Friday finds that a majority of Americans say racism and police violence in the U.S. are serious problems facing the nation. Yet relatively few people believe that the attention in the past year to the issues has led to positive change.
Three days of events to mark one year since George Floyd’s murder
National civil rights leaders and family members of Black people killed by police officers around the country will headline a three-day series of events starting Sunday in Minneapolis to mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. 
A movement memorialized: Plywood art honoring George Floyd goes on display
As Twin Cities businesses put up plywood last year to protect their windows from rioters, people with paint brushes and spray cans followed behind. An exhibit of some of those paintings goes on display Saturday in Minneapolis to commemorate the anniversary of George Floyd’s death.
Minneapolis mayor: After year of reckoning, time for change
Mayor Jacob Frey is pushing ahead with a public safety proposal that he says will help keep all neighborhoods safe and hold police accountable. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, he spoke of his plan, and reflected on the year since Floyd's death.
Appeals court hears case of 3 ex-cops charged in Floyd death
Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are scheduled to face trial next March on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. Prosecutors want to add an additional count of aiding and abetting third-degree murder — a charge that defense attorneys say is legally impossible.
‘America is not somebody else; America is us’: Civil rights organizer Bo Thao-Urabe wants Minnesota to measure success differently
In celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, MPR News and Sahan Journal are featuring Asian Minnesotans making history. Bo Thao-Urabe, executive director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders, talks about what she learned from Martin Luther King Jr. — and from her mother.
Black entrepreneurs sow seeds of healthier eating during pandemic gardening boom
Denver-based rapper DJ Cavem Moetavation started pushing beats and beets by distributing free seeds. Black-owned companies like his are trying to encourage more people of color to grow their own food.