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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November 22, 2023 4:00 AM

From Laos to St. Paul: Miss Hmong Minnesota pageant shows 'vibrance' of Hmong Minnesotans

The 43rd annual Hmong New Year festival returns to St. Paul RiverCentre on Nov. 25 and 26. At its center is the Miss Hmong Minnesota pageant, which is rooted in pageants from the Vietnam War in Laos.

by Nicole Ki

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November 21, 2023 10:00 AM

How addiction is impacting Karen and Hmong communities

Karen and Hmong parents in Minnesota say they are alarmed by the growing problem of substance abuse they see in their kids. But fixing it is difficult due to historical trauma, generational differences and a lack of access to health care. This North Star Journey Live discussion, done in partnership with Sahan Journal, looks at the issues and the solutions.

by Angela Davis and Kelly Gordon

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November 16, 2023 12:00 PM

Nerds of color assemble for ConFluence this weekend

Leslie Barlow, an artist and community educator passionate about science fiction, founded ConFluence, a pop culture convention centered on people of color, in response to the lack of Black and brown representation at traditional sci-fi events.

by Jacob Aloi

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November 10, 2023 6:20 PM

White Earth group has been quietly rewriting wrongs, correcting Native veterans headstones

Families visiting cemeteries on the White Earth reservation to honor and remember loved ones this Veterans Day might notice 12 new headstones. They were updated this summer because the names on the old ones were wrong. And this was a common problem for many serving in the Civil War who couldn't read or write — Native Americans, as well as non-native Americans.

by Nina Moini and Megan Burks

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November 3, 2023 2:13 PM

Moorhead unveils monument to Black civil war veteran

A new monument in Moorhead honors a Black civil war veteran who settled in the new community after the war, raised a family and worked as a barber.

by Dan Gunderson

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October 31, 2023 1:33 PM

A show 'For the People': New Guthrie play focuses on Minneapolis’ Native Community

The Guthrie Theater premiered a play titled “For the People,” highlighting the Twin Cities Native American community. Written by Larissa FastHorse and Ty Defoe, the play was inspired by stories from the local Native community, especially around Franklin Avenue, a hub of Native American arts and culture.

by Jacob Aloi

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October 18, 2023 4:00 AM

After surviving heart attack, Angela Conley seeks to raise risk awareness among Black women

Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley survived a heart attack at just 45 years old and wants to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, which affects a disproportionately high number of Black women.

by Nina Moini

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October 12, 2023 4:30 PM

'In the North' – Minnesota’s first independent Indigenous museum opens in an 'ironic' location

The former Enbridge-occupied building in Park Rapids, Minn., where activists once protested the Line 3 pipeline, has been transformed into Giiwedinong, an independent museum highlighting Indigenous perspectives on treaty rights and environmental justice.

by Alex V. Cipolle

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October 6, 2023 4:00 AM

Owners of first of its kind bodega in Apple Valley didn’t give up on their dreams

The owners of Bodega 42, who hail from Mexico and El Salvador, say the journey has been long and the work has been hard. The end result is a nearly 22,000-square foot marketplace which also includes a butcher, deli and restaurant that offers authentic tastes of Latin America.

by Sarah Thamer

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September 22, 2023 11:05 AM

Dance as Archive — a new exhibition honors a north Minneapolis dance school

Artist and curator Za’Nia Coleman presents an archival exhibition at the Public Functionary gallery in northeast Minneapolis, celebrating the history and community impact of the Hollywood Studio of Dance in north Minneapolis.

by Alex V. Cipolle

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