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.

This coverage is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

🎧 Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via RSS link

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

North Star Journey points to local Black history

MPR News host Angela Davis speaks with MPR News editor Brandt Williams about Black history in the Twin Cities. They share stories from North Star Journey, a celebration of communities in Minnesota and the champions who are doing the work that MPR should be bringing a voice to on the radio.

by Angela Davis, Brandt Williams and Danelle Cloutier

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February 7, 2023 12:00 PM

Two Black Minnesota police chiefs on what went wrong with policing in Memphis

Calls for police reform have stepped up again after Tyre Nichols was fatally beaten last month by officers in Memphis. MPR News Host Angela Davis talks about the future of policing with two Black Minnesota police chiefs, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges and Eagan Police Chief Roger New.

by Angela Davis, Maja Beckstrom and Nicole Johnson

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February 6, 2023 6:38 PM

Future of Us: What's next for education in Minnesota?

Minnesota’s 2020 Teacher of the Year, Qorsho Hassan, on how the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd reshaped shaped her vision for education to center student voice and leadership.

by Tom Crann and Ngoc Bui

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February 3, 2023 4:00 AM

Columbia Heights students mark World Hijab Day

A group of students at Columbia Heights High School came up with a unique way to mark World Hijab Day, giving their peers a chance to ask questions about the traditional head covering or even try one on.

by Elizabeth Shockman

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February 2, 2023 12:17 PM

Can $50 million close the racial wealth gap in Minnesota and the Dakotas?

Generational wealth is real— and so is the wealth gap between white and Black households. Danielle Mkali is Senior Director at Nexus Community Partners and they have $50 million to help. She speaks with host Cathy Wurzer.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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