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.

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April 11, 2022 1:00 PM

New book puts history of racial exclusion in Minnesota in 'plain view'

For "Whiteness in Plain View: A History of Racial Exclusion in Minnesota," Chad Montrie, a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, researched how white Minnesotans used legal and illegal means to prevent people of color from coming to the state, to drive them out or segregate them.

by Brandt Williams

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April 7, 2022 10:11 AM

How financial literacy can help reduce racial wealth gaps

Minnesota doesn’t require that students take a stand-alone course on personal finance before graduating from high school. But more states are beginning to mandate them. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how financial literacy can be a tool to reduce wealth gaps.

by Angela Davis and Samantha Matsumoto

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April 5, 2022 2:06 PM

Asian American women respond to racist incidents and violence

The national organization Stop AAPI Hate recorded close to 6,300 reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans in 2021. More than half of them targeted Asian women. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two Asian American women in Minnesota about their experiences and their communities’ responses.

by Angela Davis and Samantha Matsumoto

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April 4, 2022 4:00 AM

Financial education in Minnesota schools could help reduce economic disparities

Where did you learn about managing money, if you learned at all? Some Minnesota lawmakers say it’s time to mandate financial literacy education as a requirement to graduate from high school. They say ensuring all young Minnesota are taught personal finance is critical to helping address persistent economic disparities.

by Mark Zdechlik

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March 30, 2022 4:00 AM

Former West Side Flats residents have mixed memories about their old neighborhood

Some of the earliest immigrants to the city of St. Paul lived in areas that were eventually torn down — leaving residents to find new places to live. Many Mexican immigrants settled in areas like Swede Hollow and the West Side Flats.

by Vicki Adame

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March 28, 2022 4:00 AM

In Duluth, schools struggle to bridge city’s long-standing east-west divide

Stark disparities around health, income, housing and education are entrenched in Duluth’s geography and history. The divisions come clearly into focus at the city’s two remaining high schools. Education offers a path toward closing the gaps, but change won’t come easily.

by Dan Kraker

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March 24, 2022 4:00 AM

Artists craft new ways to teach Indigenous languages

Minnesota artists say learning and writing in Indigenous language sparks their own creativity. They are building on a revitalization effort.

by Melissa Olson

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March 22, 2022 4:00 AM

Moorhead museum tells long-overlooked stories of Black history

“Stories of Local Black History” is the Clay County Museum’s first exhibit to focus on the Black history of the region.

by Dan Gunderson

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March 21, 2022 4:00 AM

Worthington’s fast-growing communities of color see economic gains but little political power. Yet.

People of color are the majority now in Worthington, but politics in the city and across Nobles County remain nearly all white and male. That’s a growing concern for those who see political representation in southwestern Minnesota as the next important step. Change may be coming.

by Hannah Yang

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March 17, 2022 2:10 PM

South Minneapolis street now honors a pioneer Black firefighter

It’s been more than a century since John Cheatham last walked out of a Minneapolis firehouse after more than 20 years of service. He was one of the city’s first Black firefighters and the city’s first Black fire captain. And, as of today, the street a block from his old station bears his name.

by Tim Nelson

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