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

Duluth NAACP calls for end to 'racially disproportionate policing' 
The Duluth chapter of the NAACP has issued a series of demands to the city’s police force, accusing the police of racially discriminatory policing that has led to disproportionate arrests and use of force incidents involving people of color. The city says it’s committed to making change.
A suburban Minneapolis dinner theater has scrapped plans for a production of “Cinderella” because the cast was mostly white and it didn’t fit with its efforts to become more diverse. Instead of putting on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres will make its next production “Footloose.”
Jacob Blake files excessive force lawsuit against Kenosha police officer who shot him
Attorneys for Jacob Blake have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey over the August shooting, which left Blake paralyzed and sparked days of unrest.
Talking Volumes: A conversation with author Chang-rae Lee
Award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Chang-rae Lee’s past works have incorporated issues of race, class and immigration in the United States. MPR News guest host Brandt Williams interviewed Lee as part of Minnesota Public Radio and the Star Tribune’s Talking Volumes: Talking Race series.
Where is the line drawn on impartiality? Chauvin’s trial offers a glimpse into juror elimination
Having people of color on the jury eases activist concerns about reaching a fair and just verdict. But the jury selection process has provided a window into an imperfect system that legal observers say highlights larger philosophical questions about impartiality and fairness. 
Latina entrepreneurs find a space online to thrive in pandemic
Facebook Live boutique events provide needed income for entrepreneurs and create a virtual space for community members to come together in an isolated world. One Minnesota entrepreneur is among those finding success.
Diverse jury raises activists' hopes for Chauvin trial
The panel of 15 includes nine people who are white and six who are Black or multiracial. If the court follows standard practice and the alternates are the last three chosen, the 12 who deliberate would be evenly split between whites and people of color — which an activist calls a step in the right direction.