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

A multi-generational plea for social justice activism from Josie Johnson and her granddaughter
Josie Johnson and her granddaughter Josie Duffy Rice discuss the enduring importance of civil rights and social justice activism, at a 2020 event hosted by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
City probe faults overall police treatment of Elijah McClain
The report of the investigation conducted for the Colorado city of Aurora faults officers for their quick, aggressive treatment of the 23-year-old Black man. 
The task force would be similar to a panel created by the 2019 Legislature to address the disproportionately high numbers of murdered and missing Indigenous women.
U.S. life expectancy drops a year in pandemic, most since WWII
A new report finds that life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths. Minorities suffered the biggest impact, with Black people losing nearly three years and Hispanics, nearly two years.
To understand police reform, law professor volunteered to join the force
For four years, Rosa Brooks carried a badge and a gun and worked a minimum of 24 hours a month for the D.C. police — all on a voluntary basis. She writes about her experiences in “Tangled Up in Blue.”
St. Paul mayor, local alums share experiences of historically Black colleges, universities
Host Angela Davis is joined by four local graduates of historically Black colleges and universities to talk about their experiences attending schools created for Black students — and the importance of these institutions today.
Growing pains: How one southern Minnesota city is taking steps to address diversity, inclusion
As part of the city’s strategic plan, Marshall has formed a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission. Its goal: To launch tough conversations, so that, eventually, the city becomes a more welcoming place for all of its residents.
In Tuskegee, painful history shadows efforts to vaccinate African Americans
A lingering mistrust of the medical system among many Black people is rooted in the infamous 20th century U.S. study of syphilis that left Black men in Tuskegee, Ala., to suffer from the disease.