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

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas is photographed after winning the best leading actor award for Pain and Glory at the Spanish Film Academy's Goya Awards in Málaga, Spain, on Jan. 26.

Why labeling Antonio Banderas a 'person of color' triggers such a backlash

February 9, 2020 1:51 PM

By Lucía Benavides

When media called him one of the few actors of color nominated for an Oscar, many Spaniards mocked the term or got angry.

American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins

'American Dirt' publisher cancels author tour after threats

January 29, 2020 6:58 PM

Flatiron Books, publisher of the controversial new novel, has canceled the remainder of author Jeanine Cummins' book tour after what it called "specific threats" to both the author and booksellers.

Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, by Marcia Chatelain

'Franchise' tracks the rise and role of fast food in Black America

January 25, 2020 4:32 PM

By Michel Martin

History professor Marcia Chatelain's new book tracks what she calls the hidden history of the relationships between the struggle for civil rights and the expansion of the fast food industry.

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.