The setup tonight at Orchestra Hall for the Minnesota Orchestra and a 90-voice choir. It’ll take time to process a piece written in 2015: “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” the last words of seven Black men who were killed by authority figures.
Tag: Social Justice in Minneapolis
Pushing Back
Walked past Hubert Humphrey, mayor of Minneapolis 1945–1948. Generally I dislike statues, but this one reminds me of a person who changed a city that was the “anti-Semitism capital” of the country, and pushed back against blatant discrimination against African Americans.
Little Mogadishu
Cedar-Riverside, the most diverse neighborhood in Minneapolis, is a four minute walk from our home. One hundred years ago, Cedar-Riverside was home to Scandinavians, Germans, and Bohemians (today’s Czech Republic). During the last 30 years a large number of Somalis, escaping civil war and refugee camps, have moved here to what has been called Little… Continue reading Little Mogadishu
Spiral For Justice
Cycled to black history points of interest in St. Paul I’d plotted on a map. The 46 elements of Spiral For Justice represent the 46 years of Roy Wilkins’ leadership of the NAACP. The walls depict efforts to impede progress to racial justice
Minnesota Not Nice
Included the Arthur and Edith Lee House on a cycle ride. In 1931, the black couple bought this house in what was a whites-only neighborhood. Each night, thousands of angry white people protested outside while throwing rocks and excrement at the house. Read more here.
Minneapolis Protest Street Art
The elderly white woman periodically topped up our wine glasses. When she decided we were sufficiently lubricated, she turned the conversation to race, specifically African Americans. “They need to get over it,” she announced, repeating with added vehemence, “Get over it.” That conversation has been reverberating in my head as I’ve been looking at street… Continue reading Minneapolis Protest Street Art
Seeking Justice
We woke up this morning to see our immediate neighborhood on the front of the New York Times. Last night we looked down from our home at mostly peaceful protesters breaking curfew, while hundreds of police performed a well-orchestrated pincer movement. 150 protesters who chose not to disperse, despite stun grenades and tear gas, were… Continue reading Seeking Justice
Living a Guarded Life
Most mornings Dwight, my partner of 32 years, makes the first pot of the day. I get to enjoy the brew in bed while reading the New York Times. Usually I’m squirming at the news of more dog whistles from the White House. Delaying the Harriet Tubman $20 bank note is just one example of… Continue reading Living a Guarded Life
Underneath the Arches
Sometimes you just have to break the rules. I ignored a warning sign, climbed over a barrier, then walked down a rickety staircase, avoiding gaps where boards had once been. At the bottom, I found myself in a derelict place beneath the Minneapolis Stone Arch Bridge. I looked up at the beautiful lines of the… Continue reading Underneath the Arches
Hearing Native Voices
Scaffold In May 2017, I stood behind a chain link fence that was covered with protest notices. “Shame on you”“Take it down”“There is no art in genocide”“Not art, not a game, not experience, not your story, not your family” Behind the fence, in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, workers were putting the finishing touches to a… Continue reading Hearing Native Voices