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

American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins

Latinx critics speak out against 'American Dirt;' Jeanine Cummins responds

January 24, 2020 7:13 AM

By Rachel Martin

Latinx writers and critics are speaking out against Jeanine Cummins' new book “American Dirt,” calling its depiction of the migrant experience inauthentic and harmful. We asked Cummins to respond.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, pictured in July, said all 31 graduating correctional cadets would be fired. An investigation found the salute started in the second or third week of training "as a sign of respect" for an instructor.

West Virginia governor approves firing all cadets who posed in Nazi-like salute photo

December 30, 2019 8:08 PM

By Vanessa Romo

"As I said from the beginning, I condemn the photo of Basic Training Class 18 in the strongest possible terms," Gov. Jim Justice said, "This act needed to result in real consequences."

People attend the visitation service for Margie Reckard at La Paz Faith Center in El Paso, Texas, in August 2019. She was killed in white supremacist attack that targeted Latinos at a Walmart.

2019 brought stepped-up efforts to counter white supremacist violence

December 29, 2019 6:00 AM

By Hannah Allam

Extremism monitors say 2019 was the year the country started taking serious measures to address a growing far-right threat.

Dawn Sahr (left) and Asma Jama met for the first time at their 2016 StoryCorps interview in Minneapolis. They say they're friends for life.

A hateful attack led to an unexpected forever friendship

December 27, 2019 5:28 AM

By Emma Bowman , Jud Esty-Kendall , and Emily Martinez

After a Somali American woman was attacked for speaking Swahili at a Coon Rapids restaurant, the attacker's sister reached out to see if she was OK. The two women recently returned to StoryCorps to talk about their bond.

Vacant homes marked as unsafe structures in the West Hill neighborhood of Albany, N.Y. New data from the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy at Brandeis University reveal a sharp racial divide in access to opportunities in almost every major metropolitan area of the country, including Albany.

In nearly every U.S. metro area, new data show opportunity lags for kids of color

December 20, 2019 9:00 AM

NPR got an early look at data showing vastly different opportunities for children of different races across the United States living just neighborhoods apart. Albany, N.Y., has some of the greatest inequities.

One woman stands next to another sitting at a table.

For struggling Minnesota Muslims, help is a phone call away

December 19, 2019 4:00 AM

By Mohamed Ibrahim

Two sisters, Sumaya and Fadumo Hassan, started a mental-health helpline offering callers counseling and referrals to other resources. They’ve addressed questions on how to deal with bullying, anti-Islam sentiment and issues of identity.

How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Ibram X. Kendi on ‘How to Be an Antiracist’

December 16, 2019 7:42 AM

By Kerri Miller, Jeffrey Bissoy, and Kelly Gordon

Ibram X. Kendi joined Kerri Miller to talk about his new book, “How to be an Antiracist.” He argues race and capitalism are slyly intertwined.

More than 500 people from 75 countries were sworn in as U.S. citizens.

Roots Beyond Race: Take a deep dive into all Minnesota's heritage groups

November 6, 2019 3:00 PM

By Riham Feshir and Andi Egbert

A new APM Research Lab data project aims to give Americans a more layered look at our complex cultural heritage — and to help people better understand themselves and their neighbors.

In Netflix's American Son, Kerry Washington plays Kendra Ellis-Connor, a black mother of a black son who's gone missing.

In 'American Son,' Kerry Washington wants you to 'let yourself be in this nightmare'

November 2, 2019 4:42 PM

Kerry Washington reprises her Broadway role in the Netflix adaptation, as a black mother whose son has gone missing. The film is a walk in the fearful shoes of the parent of a black child, she says.

Native American protesters stand outside the Phoenix office of Yandy.com, a retailer of "sexy Native American" costumes on Oct. 24, 2018. For some ethnic and racial groups, Halloween has long been haunted by costumes that perpetuate stereotypes and instances of cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation, a perennial issue on Halloween

October 29, 2019 4:00 AM

Halloween is filled with tricks and treats, but it's also filled with landmines of cultural appropriation and racist tropes. When does holiday fun turn into an offense for someone else?