Race: Conversations around race and racial justice

Here are the latest on the fight against racism, voices calling for racial justice and in-depth stories on communities of color and other racial issues from MPR News.

Voices of Minnesota Calls for change across the state

Protests and pain The killing of George Floyd

Call To Mind Spotlight on black trauma and policing

Amplifying voices Share your experiences and hopes for the future

April 15, 2020 4:00 AM

State officials expect virus to take greater toll on racial minorities

COVID-19 is more deadly for African Americans than it is for whites, according to early data from several states and major metropolitan areas. So far, Minnesota has not detected racial differences in deaths from the virus. But given the state’s well-documented disparities in health and access to health care, experts suspect the pandemic will hurt people of color the most.

by Brandt Williams

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April 10, 2020 6:21 AM

Racial slurs and swastikas fuel civil rights pressure on Zoom

Civil rights groups warn that white nationalists and others are using the video-meeting platform Zoom to target people based on their race, sexuality and religion.

by Shannon Bond

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March 25, 2020 4:00 AM

‘I don’t have the virus’: Asian Americans in Minnesota confront a COVID-19 backlash

Asian Minnesotans say they’re facing increased hostility amid the COVID-19 crisis. Incidents range from name-calling to other forms of discrimination that appear to blame Asian Americans for the spread of the disease.

by Riham Feshir and Hannah Yang

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March 16, 2020 6:54 PM

What 10 students learned from having to say their worst thoughts on race out loud

In 1973, five black students and five white students were told to go around the room and say what they really thought about people of the other race. It bonded them in ways they never expected.

by Hanna Rosin

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February 20, 2020 11:11 AM

Strike slavery clause from Minnesota’s constitution, officials urge

Language in the state constitution still allows for slavery as punishment for a crime. On Thursday, Minnesota lawmakers, along with St. Paul’s police chief, called for that language to be purged by voters.

by Tim Nelson

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February 20, 2020 9:35 AM

California lawmakers apologize for U.S. internment of Japanese Americans

The bill's sponsor says he was "disturbed by the striking parallels" between the treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and current U.S. immigration policy.

by Laurel Wamsley and Colin Dwyer

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February 12, 2020 7:40 AM

White supremacist propaganda spreading, anti-bias group says

The Anti-Defamation League has found that some white supremacist groups are using gauzier language about "patriotism" to mainstream their message of discrimination that has targeted Jews, LGBT people and other minority communities.

by The Associated Press

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February 12, 2020 4:00 AM

Baseball makes an early pitch to catch the interest of black players

Baseball is having trouble attracting African American players, so to increase participation, leaders are trying to get kids interested early, before other sports grab their attention.

by Esther Ciammachilli

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February 11, 2020 4:10 PM

Redefining beauty: Advocates work to make skin lightening a public health issue

The Minnesota Department of Health doled out four grants to two nonprofit groups and two counties to help educate communities of color about the potential health risk of using cosmetics that lighten skin.

by Tarkor Zehn