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.

🎧 Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via RSS link

Sustainability is a way of life for Indigenous communities in Minnesota — and beyond. In partnership with We Are Still Here Minnesota, MPR News presents In Focus: Sustainability in Indian Country, a conversation led by community leaders and moderated by Twila Dang.
A challenging school year lies ahead in Minnesota, a state that ranks as one of the country’s worst when it comes to inequality in educational outcomes. Join us as host Angela Davis moderates a conversation with parents, teachers and advocates about the ongoing toll of the pandemic on our educational system.
Stacey Danner wavered on the vaccine, friends hope his story sways others to get shots
Stacey Danner was an ardent cheerleader and advocate for his north Minneapolis neighborhood, for Black entrepreneurs and for his wide circle of friends from all walks of life. But this spring, he wavered on getting a vaccine and fell gravely ill with COVID-19. His story illustrates that vaccine hesitancy in Minnesota’s Black community is complex.
Survey: Black Minnesotans have far less trust in police than white residents do
A survey by APM Research Lab, which is owned by MPR News’ parent company American Public Media, found that only one in five Black Minnesotans trust the police to do what’s right, compared to more than 70 percent of white Minnesotans. 
A year and a day after George Floyd’s murder, host Angela Davis led a conversation with community leaders, memory keepers and activists working to maintain his legacy in our communities and beyond.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has been tracking an uptick in anti-Asian incidents since the start of the pandemic. But this community has endured the effects of racism since long before COVID-19. Listen to our panel discussion on what’s being done in Minnesota to stop it.
MPR News in partnership with Twin Cities Diversity in Practice convened a panel discussion about how BIPOC and white Minnesotans are navigating conversations, how we’re experiencing the trial of Derek Chauvin and how we can move forward as neighbors. 
'Steps toward healing': Dakota tribe reclaims its land — and its story
The Lower Sioux Indian Community’s homeland lies along the Minnesota River in Redwood County. Last month, 114 acres, formerly controlled by the state, were transferred back to the tribe. “Steps towards healing is what we need,” tribal Chair Robert Larsen said. ‘And this is one of those steps.”
MPR News and partner Tech Dump presents a conversation hosted by Angela Davis about the challenges faced by Minnesota’s formerly incarcerated residents upon re-entry into the community and how we can become a more welcoming state. 
Minnesota consistently lands on lists of states with the best health care. But if you’re Indigenous or a person of color, you’re not included in the high marks the state receives in metrics like health care access or public health outcomes.