North Star Journey

North Star Journey is a celebration of communities in Minnesota and the champions who are doing the work that we should be bringing a voice to. We hope to bring new understandings of our state and what brought us to today. About | Credits

MPR News also hosts North Star Journey Live, an event series discussing topics about what Minnesota’s diverse communities need to thrive. Check it out here.

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March 1, 2023 12:02 PM

How to help kids and teens with their mental health, students weigh in

The isolation and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted teenagers struggling with mental health issues. Three experts share approaches on what adults, parents and school counselors can do to help kids dealing with anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.

by Angela Davis, Kelly Gordon and Nicole Johnson

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February 28, 2023 4:02 PM

The legacies of Keefer Court, Khyber Pass and immigrant-owned restaurants

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about restaurants run by immigrant families — how they keep culture alive through food and what we lose when they close.

by Angela Davis, Samantha Matsumoto and Ngoc Bui

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February 28, 2023 9:34 AM

'A Darker Wilderness' explores the natural world from a Black American perspective

Inspired by records from garden clubs and farmers’ almanacs, writer Erin Sharkey compiled an anthology of essays on nature by Black writers.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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February 27, 2023 4:11 PM

MPR News podcast Untangled Roots celebrates Minnesotans of color

A new podcast from MPR News North Star Journey project is digging into the untold stories of Black Minnesotans and other communities of color in the state. MPR News Host Angela Davis talks with Untangled Roots co-host Brandt Williams and producer Twila Dang.

by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

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February 27, 2023 11:46 AM

Using food as a doorway to deeper stories about culture and community

It’s easy to talk about food — its tastes, aromas, textures and potential to bring people together. Chaz Sandifer and Julie Burton also use food as a way to unlock storytelling about people and cultures. They are the creators of Stories Behind the Menu, an annual series of four dinners that begins in February with Black History Month and ends in December during the holidays.

by Cathy Wurzer and Britt Aamodt

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February 27, 2023 4:00 AM

Few speak Ojibwe as a first language. This 'nest' is teaching kids to in Cloquet

Grandma’s House in Cloquet, Minn., on the Fond du Lac Reservation is not like a drop-off daycare or an immersion school where only the children learn. Seven families learn Ojibwe traditions and language from elders who speak it as their first language.

by Robyn Katona

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February 20, 2023 1:11 PM

Minneapolis exhibit puts a spin on traditional African American quilting

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Tina Burnside, co-founder and curator of the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery in Minneapolis.

by Cathy Wurzer and Britt Aamodt

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February 14, 2023 4:00 AM

'Taking up space': Black designers focus on joy in Augsburg exhibition

Through an art exhibition at Augsburg University, Minneapolis designers and curators Olivia House and Silent Fox are developing their canon of the next generation Black designers.

by Alex V. Cipolle

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February 8, 2023 1:29 PM