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.

May 29, 2020 12:38 PM

Weary from looting and arson, south Minneapolis asks: Where are the police?

As looting and rioting spread to residential neighborhoods, outrage and heartbreak settle in. Residents and business owners say they feel abandoned by the city. Gov. Tim Walz is promising to restore order Friday and into the weekend.

by Jon Collins

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May 28, 2020 5:08 PM

Looted and smoldering, ‘Lake Street, the great street’ braces for more

As anger over the death of George Floyd led to violence and looting, a commercial corridor known for its mix of mom-and-pop businesses starts to pick up the pieces.

by Jon Collins

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May 28, 2020 11:14 AM

Reaction to protests in Minneapolis after death of George Floyd

The death of George Floyd led to protests in Minneapolis, some of which turned violent Wednesday night with the looting and burning of stores. We talk about the latest news and take a look at community relationships.

by Kerri Miller and MPR News Staff

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May 20, 2020 5:45 AM

Unemployment claims up — way up — among Asian Minnesotans

At a time when Asian Americans are reporting experiences with bigoted abuse because of COVID-19, they’re also reporting a surge in unemployment. The trend has created uncertainty about how Asian-owned businesses will survive.

by Riham Feshir

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May 13, 2020 12:10 PM

How do we decide? Ethics of the COVID-19 pandemic

The ethical dilemmas presented by the pandemic are exploding. How do doctors, government leaders and the public make high-stakes decisions when we don’t have all the information?

by Kerri Miller, Kelly Gordon and Breann Schossow

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November 17, 2020 10:40 AM

Ground Level: Finding common ground for common good

These can be divisive times. But our divides don’t have to keep us from talking. When we tell our own stories and take the time to listen, we honor the vibrant complexities of the places where we live and work. And we forge a more equitable future.

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May 5, 2020 3:16 PM

Parenting during a pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has shifted our daily lives, including the way we parent. While parenting duties have not stopped, many are now working from home and have also stepped in to teach. It’s not easy. Two parenting experts joined the conversation and answered questions about everything from fighting to technology and how to set realistic expectations.

by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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April 26, 2020 4:00 AM

‘I miss my teachers’: Already on the margins, homeless students hit hard by shuttered schools

When classrooms closed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, the disruption left teens experiencing homelessness without the stability, routine and support of school. It has forced them to navigate distance learning on their own while also dealing with the trauma that homelessness brings.

by Riham Feshir

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April 21, 2020 4:00 AM

'How are we going to do this?': Students with special needs could slip behind

Without the kind of in-person therapists, instruction and support found in schools, special education students and their families are facing steep challenges. Many are beginning to worry about regression.

by Elizabeth Shockman

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April 6, 2020 4:00 AM

Is it safe — and ethical — to send your child to day care?

Parents of Minnesota’s littlest learners are facing a dilemma: Do they continue sending their kids to child care during the COVID-19 pandemic? Minnesota’s stay-at-home order does not prohibit families from taking their kids to day care, but officials note that the goal is to keep providers open specifically for the children of emergency workers.

by Riham Feshir

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