North Star Journey

Hundreds of Afghan refugees have made their way to Minnesota since the fall of Kabul two years ago. It can be a tough transition, but efforts to help them build a community here now include a cultural touchstone for many Afghans: sewing.

The Hmong American Farmers Association closed on farmland just south of the Twin Cities in Dakota County last year. The more than 150 acres are home base for the organization and 20 families of Hmong farmers.

Twin Cities chef Lachelle Cunningham is known for drawing inspiration from Black American culinary traditions. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Cunningham about cooking with the fall harvest and training a new generation of food entrepreneurs through her Healthy Roots Initiative.

Minnesota is the land of more than 10,000 lakes and many more distinct stories and ideas which deserve a closer look. Introducing Untangled Roots, a new podcast from the MPR News North Star Journey project. MPR journalist Brandt Williams and media entrepreneur Jonathan Rabb unpack the untold stories of communities of color.

MPR News is dedicated to telling stories for Minnesota communities, by Minnesota communities. Have you seen something missing in our coverage? Have thoughts on how we should be approaching certain stories? We want to pass you the mic.

Safe social space for people of color in America — and Minnesota — can still feel rare. Bars and restaurants are an important part of providing that space.

Durante siglos, la comida y la alimentación han ayudado a conectar vidas y culturas. Como parte del proyecto North Star Journey, MPR News se puso en contacto con la escritora gastronómica de las Ciudades Gemelas, Mecca Bos, para que compartiera algunas historias sobre platos culturales emblemáticos y sobre cómo los rituales de elaboración y consumo de alimentos pueden unir a las personas.

More than three years after George Floyd’s murder, a group of Black entrepreneurs is renovating the historic Coliseum Building on Lake Street in Minneapolis that was nearly lost to arson in 2020.

Al Quie was a Minnesota governor and longtime member of Congress. But it was in his role as a church committeeman, a lifetime ago, that he reached out to a stranger — and formed an unexpected family bond that endures to this day.

Twin Cities-based Plift makes a THC beverage to compete with similar drinks sold by alcohol companies.