Insights & Stories

Race relations feel unavoidable these days - especially in Minnesota, where the world's eyes landed not long ago. The headlines bring anger and sorrow, yes, but beneath them run steady currents of fatigue and hope. People gather in workplaces, schools, congregations, each wrestling not just with what's happened, but with what's next. If you lead or belong to an organization aiming for inclusion and equity, understanding the next chapter in racial justice is not a luxury - it'

History, when you teach it close, reveals the quiet threads that run beneath today's debates in schools and city halls. In Minnesota, two friends - Ms. Bob-e Simpson Epps, who grew up learning her ancestors' resilience was essential, and Dr. Sue Kiefer Hammersmith, who examined these stories through lenses shaped by Midwest traditions - chose to do this work together. Founders of Start Here, they meet at the intersection of Black and White experience without shying away from