IntRoducing Racism Unveiled By Robert Edwards V, Racism Unveiled, Project Lead/Producer
I n many ways, Minnesota lives up to its nickname, “The North Star State.” We rank among the top states in the country in terms of home ownership, education achievement, and health and wellness. We have an abundance of green space and, despite the undesirable winters, we find a way to power through every year. For a high quality of life, you’d be hard pressed to find many places better than this... if you’re white. But, for many BIPOC residents, we experience an alternate reality. It can feel like this utopia is a façade, or worse...it isn’t meant for us.
And data supports this. According to Minnesota Compass, people of color are less likely to own their own home (Of Color 43.6%, white 76.9%), less likely to graduate high school (Of Color 72.8%, white 88.7%), and more likely to live below the poverty level (Of Color 18.2%, white 6.5%). And according to findings published by Wallet Hub in 2019, Minnesota ranks as the 48th worst state for racial equality. How can a state that succeeds so well for its white residents, fail so terribly for its residents of color? That’s the central question of TPT’s new multimedia initiative, Racism Unveiled . Every month, we’ll examine and expose the systems that disadvantage people of color in our state through video interviews, data journalism, and community-contributed pieces. By focusing on the roots of these injustices, the hope is to disentangle the often-nebulous ways in which white supremacy emerges in this state and identify tangible roots to be weeded out once and for all. But, as we know, racism is nothing new. And, for as long as it’s been around, there have been people working to dismantle it. With Racism Unveiled , we want to highlight the people and organizations hard at work in the fight for racial equity. There are many inspiring stories throughout our communities and many solutions to inequity are already in progress. Taking the lead of these folks, we can find ways to influence our own individual communities, whether through political engagement or a simple conversation. Minnesota has a long way to go, and with only 20% of our population being BIPOC, the odds of seeing progress can feel overwhelming. But, there are plenty of allies in our midst and, as we saw last summer, people are ready to listen. Hopefully, by sharing our problems and solutions cross-culturally, we’ll all find a way forward together. I have no grand delusions about the impact a project like this can make, but I do believe that any step toward equity is a step worth taking. I look forward to taking that step with all of you.
This work is generously funded by a lead grant from the Otto Bremer Trust, with additional support from HealthPartners.
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