Race: Conversations around race and racial justice

The May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody has ignited an urgent push for racial equality across Minnesota and the United States. 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

Breonna Taylor poses with her car on Dec. 25, 2019. Her friends and family remember Taylor as a caring person who loved her job in health care and playing cards with her aunts.

As the nation chants her name, Breonna Taylor's family grieves a life 'robbed'

June 4, 2020 10:57 PM

By Ari Shapiro , Jason Fuller , and Becky Sullivan

Breonna Taylor's family and friends mourn her death — and process what it means for her to become a national symbol. Police in Louisville, Ky., shot and killed the 26-year-old EMT in March.

A demonstrator holds a sign with George Floyd's likeness on it as people gather to protest his death and police brutality this week near the White House in Washington.

Experts: Floyd’s health issues don’t affect homicide ruling

June 4, 2020 9:30 AM

By The Associated Press

George Floyd had drugs in his system and severe heart disease when a Minneapolis police officer put a knee to his neck, but independent experts say the medical problems don’t change the conclusion that the handcuffed man’s death was a homicide.

Gaosong Heu talks about reactions in the Hmong community to the killing of George Floyd. Former police officer Tou Thao, a Hmong American, is seen on video of the killing running interference with the crowd and standing watch. His involvement has stirred a racial debate among Asian Americans.

For Hmong community, George Floyd's death isn't just about black and white

June 4, 2020 6:25 AM

By Ashley Westerman , Noel King , and Matt Kwong

George Floyd's death isn't just a story about a black man and the white cop charged with his murder. Among Asian Americans, the involvement of Hmong officer Tou Thao is stirring a racial debate.

Minnesota state Rep. Ruth Richardson and her son, Shawn, stand outside the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul, Minn. She represents areas south of St. Paul, about 15 miles from where George Floyd was killed.

How a mother protects her black teenage son from the world

June 3, 2020 8:11 AM

By Noel King , Matt Kwong , Ashley Westerman , and James Doubek

Minnesota state Rep. Ruth Richardson doesn't want her teenage son, Shawn, a track athlete, to go running outside. "You can't do the same things that your white friends do," she remembers telling him.

A threatening note

Faced with racist threats, residents band together

June 2, 2020 8:06 PM

By Elizabeth Shockman, Jon Collins, and Sabby Robinson

Minneapolis and St. Paul residents are organizing to protect their communities after they felt abandoned by law enforcement.

Protesters hold signs during a demonstration in a call for justice for George Floyd who died while in custody of the Minneapolis police, on May 30, 2020 by the 5th police precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minneapolis ranks near the bottom for racial equality

June 2, 2020 5:30 AM

By Greg Rosalsky

The problem goes deeper than police misconduct.

Malaysia Hammond places flowers at a memorial mural for George Floyd in Minneapolis on Sunday. Police brutality has sparked days of civil unrest. But the sparks have landed in a tinderbox built over decades of economic inequality, now exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

From jobs to homeownership, protests put spotlight on economic divide

June 1, 2020 8:25 PM

By Scott Horsley

Police brutality has sparked days of civil unrest. But the sparks have landed in a tinderbox built over decades of economic inequality, now exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Protests over police treatment of black people have sparked concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Here, a protester marches Monday in Philadelphia with a cloth mask saying, "I can't breathe."

Anti-racism protests versus COVID-19 risk: 'I wouldn't weigh these crises separately'

June 1, 2020 5:48 PM

By Bill Chappell

"White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19," public health experts say in an open letter as large protests erupt in cities across the United States.

Hundreds demonstrated in Trafalgar Square in central London on Sunday, and many kneeled, to protest the recent killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.

George Floyd reverberates globally: Thousands protest in Germany, UK, Canada

May 31, 2020 8:54 PM

By Hannah Hagemann

The killing of George Floyd has sprung a global movement against inequality and racism; protests were seen over the weekend in the U.K., Germany and Canada.

A person throws an item towards an open flame.

Outsiders, extremists are among those fomenting violence in Twin Cities

May 30, 2020 3:17 PM

By Jon Collins and Elizabeth Shockman

Outside extremist agitators are among those fomenting violence, chaos and destruction in the Twin Cities, seeking to co-opt protests following the police killing of George Floyd to their own ends.