Social Issues

Violence Free Minnesota discusses intimate partner violence in the wake of Burnsville shooting
Joe Shannon, the communications program manager for Violence Free Minnesota, spoke with All Things Considered host Tom Crann about the current state of domestic violence in Minnesota in the aftermath of the Burnsville shooting that left three first responders dead.
Josie Johnson, iconic Minnesota civil rights activist, on hope and her legacy
A new documentary “Hope in the Struggle” tells the story of civil rights activist Josie Johnson, chief lobbyist for Minnesota’s fair housing law and the first Black member of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.
Beyond the beans: Frogtown’s Flava Café brews hope, community support
Flava Coffee & Café, perhaps the first Black-owned coffee shop in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood, has been open for almost two years and coffee isn’t the only thing brewing. 
Through fufu and sambusas, Rochester students counter misinformed ideas about Africa
As part of our Talking Sense series, correspondent Catharine Richert visited John Marshall High School where the Black Student Union is using Spirit Day, movie nights and lots of food to help students expand their cultural knowledge about Africa.
St. Paul teachers voted to authorize a strike. Here’s what that means
St. Paul teachers and support staff have voted to authorize a strike. They could set a strike date as soon as next week. As mediation talks continue, here are the basics on where things stand.
New Twin Cities clinics focus on health for women 65 and older
Herself Health launched in 2022 with a vision to offer health care focused mainly on the specific health issues women over 65 face. Their newest clinic opens in south Minneapolis next week.
How to have good conversations across political divides
During what promises to be a divisive election year, MPR News and the nonprofit organization Braver Angels are partnering to bring Minnesotans Talking Sense, an online and in-person platform to help people have hard conversations better.