Ground Level®: Amplifying Community Voices

Your story is powerful. The stories you share with others honor the complexity of our communities while forging a more equitable and vibrant future.

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We’d like to hear your thoughts and questions. Your ideas about solutions. How are your communities? What are you seeing today? And what do you want to see tomorrow?

Note that while we will exercise editorial judgment for language, length and avoiding personal attacks, we will not sacrifice your meaning. We will ensure your main message comes through on air and online.

September 22, 2020 5:01 AM

Preparing Minnesotans of color to wield more power at the Capitol

The number of Minnesota lawmakers of color has tripled over the past 10 years, but the Legislature remains 90 percent white — which is less racially diverse than the state’s population. A St. Paul program is trying to build a pipeline from diverse communities to the state Capitol to tackle widening racial disparities.

by Melissa Townsend

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September 18, 2020 2:11 PM

Fact check: Did Minneapolis City Council defund the police? And did Trump call in the National Guard?

In the months following the police killing of George Floyd and amid calls to dismantle the police, Minneapolis has been at the center of national news and intrigue. While there’s plenty of fodder in the city for debate, facts need to be at the center of it.

by Brandt Williams and Brian Bakst

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September 1, 2020 3:43 PM

State aims for quick turnaround on $300 unemployment boost

After securing federal approval for enhanced benefits over the weekend, Minnesota’s unemployment officials hope to quickly dispatch the extra $300 in weekly aid to qualified recipients.

by Brian Bakst

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August 31, 2020 1:23 PM

Why looting happens in some protests

Dozens of businesses reported property damage in downtown Minneapolis last week, after a night of looting and vandalism. It was reminiscent of the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in May, when days of unrest left about 1,500 Twin Cities buildings damaged. So, why does looting happen in some protests?

by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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August 29, 2020 6:00 AM

As Mpls. plans phased reopening of 38th and Chicago, protesters plan to hold their ground

The City Council will soon seek public comment on a plan to open a portion of the intersection where George Floyd was killed. People from the surrounding community say they won’t give up the intersection until the city meets a list of 24 demands.

by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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August 28, 2020 4:00 AM

When a graphic video can quell unrest but still do harm

As tensions boiled over in Minneapolis, city leaders and journalists wrestled with whether to post graphic footage of a man killing himself. Newsrooms are trained to use extreme caution when reporting on suicide and to refrain from reporting on the details. But this case tested those principles.

by Riham Feshir

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August 27, 2020 11:23 AM

In Focus: The Future of Policing

The police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin has brought new urgency to the discussion over the role police and police departments play in communities. MPR News hosted an online event to talk about what changes are needed.

by Brandt Williams, Marcheta Fornoff and MPR News Staff

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August 26, 2020 5:00 AM

Can a ‘pandemic pod’ stem the widening education gap? One neighborhood group wants to try

As many schools go virtual, families have been organizing spaces and interviewing private tutors who would run smaller makeshift classrooms at home or other sites away from crowded school buildings. But in light of concerns about widening inequities, one Minneapolis neighborhood is using the pod model to help students who would fall behind without additional support.

by Riham Feshir

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August 7, 2020 2:46 PM

Community rallies around Bloomington mosque after imam assaulted on the way to prayer

Bloomington police are investigating an attack on the imam, Mohamed Mukhtar, who was walking to the nightly prayer service around 10 p.m. Thursday when two people approached and assaulted him outside of the Dar Al Farooq center.

by Riham Feshir and Christine T. Nguyen

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July 14, 2020 9:22 AM

In Duluth, confronting racism with a 'Hello'

As one of the few Black employees at the St. Louis County courthouse in Duluth, John Staine felt he was being singled out — and he was sick of it. So, he took an unconventional approach to confronting the bias.

by Dan Kraker

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