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The Future of Us

The Future of Us

These stories are part of a series called “The Future of Us,” exploring how a pandemic, a murder and a city on fire have changed us and our path forward.

Future of Us: Deprived of social connections during the pandemic, teens learned to prioritize their mental health

Future of Us: Deprived of social connections during the pandemic, teens learned to prioritize their mental health

What does a pandemic and a racial reckoning mean for the generation that came of age during it? Licensed therapist and author Shani Tran says that, while it has taken a toll on Gen Z’s mental health, it’s also equipped them with the emotional tools they’ll need to thrive.
by Heidi Raschke

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Future of Us: Forced to downsize their funerals, Hmong families returned to their roots

Future of Us: Forced to downsize their funerals, Hmong families returned to their roots

COVID-19 hit Hmong Minnesotans especially hard. Of COVID-related deaths among Asian Minnesotans in 2020, nearly half were Hmong. The loss came in the midst of pandemic restrictions that forced many families to downsize their normally large and lavish funerals. As they did so, Hmong healer Xifu Yaj Ceeb Vaj says some found an opportunity to reground themselves in their culture's spiritual traditions.
by Tom Crann and Ngoc Bui

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Future of Us: The pandemic offered workers a golden opportunity – but inequities to navigate

Future of Us: The pandemic offered workers a golden opportunity – but inequities to navigate

The pandemic gave workers fresh evidence that business doesn’t have to operate as usual. An organizational behavior expert says it’s an opportunity to make work better for people, if we can avoid creating new inequities in the process.
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Future of Us: When their theater closed, these comedians found an audience in each other

Future of Us: When their theater closed, these comedians found an audience in each other

The pandemic forced the Brave New Workshop Comedy Theater to temporarily close its doors. But performing online opened the door for new approaches to comedy – and new places to find validation.
by Megan Burks

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Future of Us: Applauded during the pandemic, now nurses want to be heard

Future of Us: Applauded during the pandemic, now nurses want to be heard

During the most fraught days of the pandemic, nurses were both thanked and attacked. Today, they’re still walking a tightrope — this one caused by an ongoing labor shortage.
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Future of Us: The pandemic brought Americans outside, but racial barriers remain

Future of Us: The pandemic brought Americans outside, but racial barriers remain

Duluth nature photographer and author Dudley Edmondson was inspired to make outdoor recreation more welcoming to people of color during the pandemic. “There was a time when I thought that I was the only Black birdwatcher in America,” he said.
by Megan Burks

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

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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Special: Exploring the 'Future of Us'

Special: Exploring the 'Future of Us'

MPR News host Tom Crann presents the series “The Future of Us,” which explores how a pandemic, a police murder and a city on fire have changed us and our path forward. 
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Future of Us: After the pandemic took worship online, a Rochester church takes stock

Future of Us: After the pandemic took worship online, a Rochester church takes stock

As the pandemic tested hospital workers, so too did it test houses of worship. But Rev. Beth Royalty, leader of the 163-year-old church that stands next door to the Mayo Clinic, says her congregation has come out the other side with a fresh perspective. “We can let go of the past. We have to let go of the past.”
by Tom Crann and Megan Burks

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Future of Us: Creating a new roadmap for justice in the wake of George Floyd

Future of Us: Creating a new roadmap for justice in the wake of George Floyd

Long-time activist and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong reflects on how the murder of George Floyd, global protests, and a high-profile conviction have transformed the ways we understand and advocate for justice.
by Tom Crann and Ngoc Bui

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