Change For You(th) Proposals due July 15
The Division of Race and Equity’s ReCAST Minneapolis program set aside $100,000 to support community-based projects centered on addressing the needs of youth across Minneapolis. Building upon the success of its 2018 Resilience 365 participatory budgeting project, the Division collaborated with the Youth Coordinating Board’s Youth Congress to design this year's effort.
Projects funded through this effort must meet the goals set by the Trauma Troopers, a team of youth researchers with whom the Division contracted to conduct interviews and focus groups with over fifty youth (ages 14-24) from North and South Minneapolis. Youth serving organizations can submit project/event proposals that occur in North, South, & Cedar Riverside neighborhoods starting June 30.
More information & applications.
Voting Information
NDN Time: From Timber to Scaffold
July 17, 2019, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Franklin Library - Lower Level Meeting Room
1314 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis
More information
This NDN time gathering intends to build on a training provided through ReCAST in 2018 historicizing the beginnings of Minneapolis as a “resource city” in the latter half of the 19th century. An audio story will be made available to a broad listening audience to a social media platform and shared with community. We invite people interested in the subject matter to gather, eat, and talk. The trainings proposed here would be a part of this year’s calendar intended to build capacity within community to respond to issues important to Native American communities.
400 Year Commemoration Lecture Series
The City of Minneapolis’ Division of Race and Equity Summer Lecture Series are designed to increase the awareness and understanding of the African American experience over the last 400 years. The series starts by centering the African American experience in who we were prior to enslavement and ends with a call to re-imagine a future of health and wellness moving forward.
The July session will give space to participants to remember who African Americans were before 1619, including our ancestry, our culture, and our peoplehood. Participants will have an opportunity to collectively explore what happened to African Americans who were enslaved and address what slavery looked like in Minnesota. How did we get over? What are the narratives of personal and communal resistance?
More information
Minnesota African American Heritage Museum & Gallery Northside Oral History Project Exhibit Now Open!
Visit the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum & Gallery to listen to stories from Northside community members. There are nine stories available currently. This exhibit will close on Oct. 1.
Trauma Informed Services
ReCAST Connect Provider Map
ReCAST Minneapolis invites you to connect with community cultural healers - individuals from a particular culture and/or ethnic group whose work is rooted in traditional practices as sources of healing and resiliency, rather than western scientific practices alone - or a mental health provider - professionals who provide therapeutic treatment.
Community cultural healers use some of these strategies: meditation, prayer, smudging, using herbs and spices, using essential oils, using traditional medicines, mind-body practices, etc.
View the map and find a provider.
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Stonewall Oral History Project - Videographer Wanted
The Division of Race & Equity is collaborating with the LGBT2SQIAP+ community to create a Stonewall Oral History Project celebrating the 50th Anniversary. Three short videos will center around the Stonewall uprising’s influence and ability to help develop a movement for equity around key concerns in the transgender and gender nonconforming community.
We are looking for a videographer to record and design these videos approximately three minutes in length for the project including interviews and images representing the voices of the LGBT2SQIAP+ community. We envision a videographer facilitating and capturing the interviews reflecting on the Stonewall Riots to move equity work in Minneapolis. If you are interested in being a videographer for the Stonewall Oral History Project, please email RaceEquity@minneapolismn.gov.
The Stonewall Oral History Project is set to be aired at the 6th Annual Trans Equity Summit. We look forward to sharing experiences and reflections of the Stonewall uprising as a pivotal movement for the City of Minneapolis. If you would like to participate in discussions and dialogue for the Oral History Project, please email RaceEquity@minneapolismn.gov.
Division of Race & Equity Shares Transgender Equity Work at 2019 Pride Festivities
The Trans Equity Council (TEC) tabled at Twin Cities Pride, advertising Trans Equity Council meetings, this fall’s Trans Equity Summit, and the Stonewall Oral History Project sign-ups. We had conversations with 325 community members in addition to collecting survey responses. Many folks had not known about either the TEC or the Summit, and were excited to learn about both and to stay connected to our work. Community concerns centered on bathrooms, police harassment, healthcare, housing, jobs, education, and eliminating the barriers to name changes and medical transition.
7th Annual Trans Equity Summit
The City of Minneapolis is hosting our 7th annual Trans Equity Summit this fall! The theme is “Retelling Our Stories/Shifting the Narrative,” in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. Mark your calendars for the end of September – final date to be announced soon! – and join us to celebrate trans and gender non-conforming history and envision T/GNC futures. If you want to be involved in planning the Summit, please contact Track Trachtenberg, Trans Equity Project Coordinator, at track.trachtenberg@minneapolismn.gov.
Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan
The City’s first ever Strategic & Racial Equity Action Plan is being presented to Committee of the Whole on July 24th and being voted on for final adoption by City Council on July 25th. The SREAP is a four-year plan that uses data to establish a strategy and vital few projects for eliminating racial disparities within targeted City goal areas. The plan will provide City leaders with a common focus and direction for prioritizing work and resources within the seven priorities below.
Operational Priorities
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Workforce: Increase the hiring and retention of People of Color and Indigenous People in the City’s workforce
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Spending: Increase the percent count of, and spend with, racially and ethnically diverse suppliers across all departments
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Data: Improve the use of racially disaggregated data for decision making in the legislative process
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Community Engagement: Improve the capacity of appointed boards and commissions (ABCs) to advance the City’s racial equity work
Policy Priorities
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Housing: Reduce involuntary displacement in rental housing for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Immigrant communities that are disproportionately impacted.
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Economic Development: Increase the entry and sustainability of businesses in Minneapolis owned by people of color so that the disparity between Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Immigrant communities and white people is eliminated.
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Public Safety: Eliminate the disproportionate impact of violence in Black, Indigenous, People of Color communities.
You can find more information on the Strategic and Racial Equity Action Plan on the City’s website. For further information or questions, please email RaceEquity@minneapolismn.gov
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Minneapolis Black Business Week
The City of Minneapolis will be celebrating the first ever Minneapolis Black Business Week from July 19-27. The goal of Minneapolis Black Business Week is not only to highlight Black-owned businesses within our city, but to foster connections to resources and support for existing businesses.
Mayor Frey, City departments, and partner organizations will be hosting special events throughout the week, from networking and business support to a movie night and shopping. To learn more about the planned events, visit www.MinneapolisBlackBusinessWeek.com.
We hope that you will join us, and help us make sure that Black Business Week 2019 is a success. How?
- Share this information broadly with your networks.
- Encourage black-owned businesses you work with to sign up for the directory on our website
- Use your social media presence to shout out black-owned businesses in your neighborhood/membership using the hashtag #MplsBlackBizWeek. Encourage folks to dine out and shop black the week of July 19-27.
- Join us at scheduled events for fun and networking!
City of Bloomington Seeks Racial Equity Coordinator
The City of Bloomington is seeking an individual to coordinate efforts to integrate racial equity principles into all operations, projects and services of the City through the application and integration of best practices, training and development of City staff, and tracking and measurement of outcomes. More information & application.
Examples of Duties
- Support leadership in the development and implementation of organizational initiatives, objectives, and strategies related to the advancement of racial equity and inclusion.
- Provide training and support to City staff, Council, and Commissions regarding equity and inclusion principals and initiatives. Assists individual staff members, teams and work groups in understanding and applying trainings to their day-to-day work.
- Assist staff in advancing race and equity goals in new and existing programs and policies by developing toolkits and providing data, support, and recommendations.
- Serve as a change agent within the organization and a resource to fellow City staff and officials in identifying and removing structural bias and inequities in City policies, programs and services.
- Compile, distribute and present regular reports and measurements of race and equity work to the City's leadership including the City Council, Human Rights Commission and Executive Leadership Team.
- Actively pursue education, networking and learning opportunities to stay abreast of new and emerging issues in the field of equity and inclusion. Actively encourage other City leaders to do likewise.
Behavioral Health & Wellness Curriculum Opportunity
The Minnesota Departments of Human Services and Management and Budget are looking to partner with school districts or collaboratives of schools to offer a social emotional learning-based curriculum for middle schoolers to promote positive mental health and prevent substance use. Programming would start in fall 2020. The state will cover the costs to implement the curriculum for four years (from school year 2020-21 to 2023-24), including staff training and reimbursement of teacher or substitute training time, curriculum materials, and technical assistance.
Apply now at: https://mn.gov/mmb/behavioral-wellness/
Only a limited number of schools can be supported, so districts are encouraged to apply as early as July 15, 2019. As soon as districts apply, state staff will schedule a site visit. The application is expected to officially remain open until November 15, but the state may close the application process earlier depending on the number of applicants.
If you have questions or want to learn more, please email Lindsey Thompson at Lindsey.Thompson@state.mn.us.
 New Free E-Learning Program on Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals
The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) announced a new, free and accredited e-learning program: Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals. The program, available via OMH’s Think Cultural Health website, is designed to develop behavioral health providers' knowledge and skills related to culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS).
This online program is a practical tool for behavioral health professionals who want to gain skills and knowledge about culture and diversity, which could be applied daily to better serve your clients. The tool is particularly timely for professionals working to address the opioid epidemic among racial and ethnic populations, which have low treatment rates and some of the highest rates of opioid misuse and overdose.
OMH encourages all certified counselors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers to take this program and earn up to five continuing education credits at no cost.
The program’s 4 courses cover:
- Connections between culture and behavioral health
- The impact of cultural identity on interactions with clients
- Ways to engage, assess and treat clients from diverse backgrounds
More information
Join the MN Department of Health for a webinar on Minnesota Adolescent Mental Well-Being
July 24, 2019, 1-2:30 p.m.
Registration & more information
Measuring population mental well-being is important for understanding and addressing mental health and well-being in our community and state. There are many commonly agreed upon components of mental well-being, including ten that are captured in the Minnesota Student Survey: positive identity, social competency, personal growth, empowerment, social integration, educational engagement, and positive family, community, teacher and peer relationships.
Join the Minnesota Department of Health to:
- Review the newly released data brief on adolescent mental well-being (Click here)
- Learn more about the mental well-being components in the Minnesota Student Survey
- Discuss opportunities to capture overall mental well-being among adolescents
- Consider tangible ways to think about and promote mental well-being in your community
- Help identify other data questions about mental well-being.
Join the MN Department of Health for a monthly Mental Well-Being and Resilience Learning Community
Health Bodies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Leaders:
Building a trauma-sensitive learning environment in an urban elementary school
July 30, 2019, 10 a.m.-noon
Registration & more information
A five-year partnership between the UMN Extension Center for Youth and Family Consortium (CYFC) and Bruce Vento Elementary School in St. Paul helped to demonstrate a trauma-sensitive learning environment that benefits students, parents, and school personnel. This model emerged from a conversation with an elementary school principal who had recently learned about the health risks related to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Partnership actions included: a calming room, school garden, and a quieter school dining room. Students and parents reported enthusiasm for the changes and began identifying the school as one of “choice.” Learn more about how you could implement these innovate in you schools.
About the Division of Race & Equity
The Division of Race & Equity is housed in the City Coordinator's Department.
For more information, please email RaceEquity@minneapolismn.gov.
This update was developed [in part] under grant number 1H79SM063520-03 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies, and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.
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