Session 1 – Building Our Understanding of Equity with Kevin Lindsey
September 1, 2020, Hosted by Camille Cyprian The goal of this session was to gain a greater understanding of equity for the purposes of future TRUE Tuesdays. We used the video, Equity 101: Starting the Equity Conversation, hosted by Asail Waters and Ana Moreno of the National Equity Project, as a guide for small group…
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Session 2 – WRITE on RACE Part 1 with Stacy Wells and Bukata Hayes
September 22, 2020, hosted by Camille Cyprian Rural communities must meaningfully engage on issues and implications of race, racism, and anti-blackness. The bedrock of whiteness is anti-black (by extension includes Latinos, Asians and Indigenous) sentiments, notions and beliefs. It’s important to address this specifically in an effort to build greater equity in rural MN. The…
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Session 3 – WRITE on RACE Part 2 with Stacy Wells and Bukata Hayes
October 13, 2020, hosted by Camille Cyprian Rural communities must meaningfully engage on issues and implications of race, racism, and anti-blackness. The bedrock of whiteness is anti-black (by extension includes Latinos, Asians and Indigenous) sentiments, notions and beliefs. It’s important to address this specifically in an effort to build greater equity in rural MN. The…
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Session 4 – Healing in Equity Work Part 1: Understanding Trauma & Traumas of Oppression with Camille Cyprian
November 10, 2020, hosted by Kevin Lindsey Camille Caster-Cyprian, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Minnesota Council on Foundations, discusses the science of stress and the link between trauma, stress, and equity, and reflects on how toxic stress & burnout show up in our bodies, and our relationship to healing & self-care as…
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Session 5 – Healing in Equity Work Part 2: Self-care Practice Session with Camille Caster-Cyprian
December 1, 2020, hosted by Kevin Lindsey Camille Caster-Cyprian, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Minnesota Council on Foundations, lead this interactive practice session that began with a review of the science of stress and the link between self-care, healing, and equity. She then introduced and guided participants through several self-care practices, offering space to debrief and share. …
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Session 6 – When Hate Comes to Town with Jaylani Hussein, Dave Skilbred and Victoria Guillemard
January 19, 2021, hosted by Camille Cyprian, moderated by Gail Anderson In this TRUE Tuesdays offering, Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in Minnesota (CAIR-MN), Pastor Dane Skilbred, the pastor for discipleship at Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar and Victoria Guillemard, a resident of Murdock, MN share their work…
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Session 7 – Local Media and Equity with Heidi Holtan and Josette Ciceron
February 9, 2021, hosted by Camille Cyprian, moderated by Gail Anderson When working toward equity in your community, your local media can be an ally. Hear from representatives in radio, video, and print media about how they interface with their communities and learn some possible ways you can work with your local media. Confirmed guests…
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Session 8 – Arts, Equity and Rural Minnesota with Cicelia Cornejo, Amoke Kubat, Mai’a Williams and Michele Anderson
March 2, 2021, hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian, moderated by Gail Anderson Working toward equity begins with embracing differences. The arts can help communities overcome resistance, open imaginations toward creative problem solving, and build empathy among different people in an area. The arts can create a sense of belonging that anchors residents to a place. In…
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Session 9 – Healing in Equity Work Part 3: Organizational and Systemic Implications and Applications with Camille Caster-Cyprian
March 23, 2021, hosted by Kevin Lindsey Systemic and structural racism present within our organizations contribute to the harm and trauma of people with marginalized identities. Part 3 of the Healing in Equity series explored how healing justice can be applied and operationalized within organizational equity work. We translate knowledge from the individual body to…
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Session 10 – Sharing YOUR Rural Narrative with Anna Claussen, Ashley Hanson, Jane Leonard & Monica Segura-Schwartz
April 13, 2021, hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian, moderated by Dawn Espe. Partners at Region Five Development Commission, Growth & Justice, Voices for Rural Resilience and Department of Public Transformation share how they use storytelling to help deepen the understanding of what local residents are doing on a daily basis to advance equity and anti-racism work in…
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Session 11 – Better Together: Stories of a Whole-Community Response to Countering Hate: Project F.I.N.E. with Fatima Said & Katie van Eijl
May 4, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian, moderated by Bernadine Joselyn. How is your community organizing to welcome strangers and ensure everyone feels safe and welcome? In the Southeast corner of the state, Project FINE is working to build a community where all residents feel welcomed, respected, and valued. Their work…
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Session 12 – Building an Inclusive Economy in Greater MN with Chet Bodin, Laura Marsolek and Jessica Miller
May 25, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian In this session we learned how rural communities are reframing the value of immigrant workers in their area. Jessica Miller, Chet Bodin and Laura Marsolek shared about the work taking place in the Brainerd area through the I-WE program. A Community Workforce Inclusion Council (CWIC) brings together a diverse…
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Session 13 – Colored Lines: A Story of Race in Itasca County with Becky LaPlant, Karen Noyce, Carolyn Eck and Joan Gunderman
June 15, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian, moderated by Becky LaPlant with Karen Noyce, Carolyn Eck, and Joan Gunderman The Grand Rapids-based Community Action Team has spent the last two years screening and facilitating conversations about the locally produced film, Colored Lines. The film explores challenges faced by black, Indigenous, and…
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Session 14 – Understanding Relationships with Sovereign Nations in Minnesota Part 1: History Deep Dive with Fawn Sampson & Jay Schlender
July 6, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Kevin Lindsey. In this session we took an in-depth dive into the history of relationships between Sovereign Nations and Minnesota, and the impact on communities. This conversation set the stage for understanding this complex relationship and utilizing tools to build a stronger community and develop deeper…
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Session 16 – Immigrant and Diverse Workforce Solutions in Central MN with Tammy Biery, Sahur Hussein, & Mahado Ali
August 17, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian, moderated by Della Ludwig. In this session we learned how Central MN is engaging employers and immigrant job seekers through diverse workforce solutions. We heard an overview of the region’s diverse populations and hiring trends and learned about some of the programs Career Solutions…
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Session 17 – TRUE Reflection on the Past, Present, and Future with TRUE Partners: Julie Hawker, Lisa Hinz, Pablo Obregon, Kevin Lindsey & Bernadine Joselyn
September 21, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian. Happy 1st Anniversary to all of us in the community of TRUE Tuesdays! In this session we reflected together on the first full year of TRUE Tuesdays – what we’re all learning and how we’re each strengthening equity in our lives and communities -…
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Session 18 – Resettlement of Afghan Evacuees, An Overview of Federal and State Responses with Rachele King
October 19, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian and Pablo Obregon. In this session we heard an overview of the federal “Operation Allies Welcome” effort to provide protection and safety to Afghans, including the steps people have/will go through to gain refuge in the U.S. We learned about what this means for…
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Session 19 – 100 Rural Women: Story-Sharing with Rural Women Leading the Way to a More Equitable Future with Dani Pieratos, Delaine Anderson, Jasmine Terry, & Erin Schutte Wadzinski
November 16, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian & Joy Persall, moderated by Teresa Kittridge. 100 Rural Women is creating connections and inspiring leadership across the state. We heard story-sharing with amazing women leaders who are working to affect positive change in rural Minnesota and in their communities. They all approach their…
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Session 20 – Cultural Centers as Places Where Hearts Can Meet with Mark Ritchie, Rick Smith, Wayne Dupuis, & Kevin Lindsey
December 21, 2021; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Camille Caster-Cyprian, moderated by Bernadine Joselyn. This TRUE Tuesdays offering explored historical, contemporary and imagined cultural interpretive centers in Minnesota as a resource for enhancing and preserving culture within and among groups. Mark Ritchie, President of Global Minnesota and Kevin Lindsey, CEO of the Minnesota Humanities,…
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Session 21 – Healing Minnesota Stories with Rev. Pamela Ngunjiri
January 18, 2022; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Lisa Hinz, moderated by Joy Persall. In 2020 the MN Council of Churches adopted a bold initiative to move their member congregations forward in the area of racial justice. Co-Directors Rev. Pamela Ngunjiri and Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs are building a program to include truth-telling and…
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Session 22 – Understanding Relationships with Sovereign Nations in MN-Part 2: Biiwabikowanzh with Fawn Sampson
February 15, 2022; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Moderated by Julie Hawker. This was Part 2 of a series of conversations about the history of relationships with Sovereign Nations and Minnesota. This conversation focused on the helpful, innovative tools we have used to navigate the topics we overviewed in the first session in July 2021: land…
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Session 23 – The Power of Storytelling with Seraphia Gravelle and Laura Murvartian
March 22, 2022; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Pat Branstad. Storytelling is powerful – in a multitude of ways, each having its own impact. Stories can be shared in a variety of contexts. The presenters for “The Power of Storytelling” shared their own individual stories as well as a unique context of storytelling. Seraphia…
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Session 24 – CRT! Ethnic Studies! How Should We Teach History in Our Schools?
April 19, 2022; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Cheryal Hills and Kevin Lindsey. All parents agree that how we are talking about race in schools needs to change to avoid harming the self-esteem of students. Some parents believe that we need to start having authentic conversations about our history and begin teaching ethnic studies…
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Session 25 – The Fight for Sovereignty: A History of Federal Indian Policy
May 17, 2022; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Elissa Hansen. In this session, attorney and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe member Aarik Robertson offered an overview into the complex relationship between Indian Tribes and the Federal Government that began over 500 years ago. This session was designed to offer an understanding of the history…
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Session 26 – Write on Race: How we convene, how to support, and what we are learning
July 19, 2022; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Kevin Lindsey with guests Bukata Hayes, Stacy Wells and Jennifer Tonko. Almost two year ago, we heard from Bukata Hayes and Stacy Wells about their community building effort, WRITE on RACE. Two years later, they share with us their insight on convenings these past years and…
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Session 27 – Finding your Voice, Leading for Change
August 16, 2022; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Lisa Hinz, Jenn Aranda, and Ellen Wolter Extension Educators at the Center for Community Vitality, University of Minnesota The focus is on race and racism, although some of the dynamics show up across other forms of oppression in similar ways. Upon raising awareness about issues of…
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Session 28 – Noticing Our Response to Conflict with Nonviolent Peaceforce
January 17, 2023; 2:30 – 4:00 pm Hosted by Region 5 Development Commission and Nonviolent Peaceforce How do we feel conflict in our body? How do we recognize it in our communities? Are conflict and danger the same thing? Noticing Our Response to Conflict with the Nonviolent Peaceforce informed participants how they engage with local…
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