by Rasheed Shabazz | August 7, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS, MN–Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman co-hosted a convening of government and community leaders from throughout the country in Minneapolis on August 5-6 to strategize on advancing racial equity. The Twin Cities convening was organized and led by the Governmental Alliance on Race and Equity, a new project of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society focused on advancing racial equity and opportunities for all.
Keynote speakers included john powell, Director of the Haas Institute, Julie Nelson, Director of the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race & Equity, and Glenn Harris, President of the Center for Social Inclusion. The convening's workshops focused on equity in the opportunity areas of housing, jobs, transportation, education, and health.
(RELATED: Attendees live tweeted the event using #racialequityMN. See our social media recap.)
The Twin Cities Regional Convening on Racial Equity was a unique gathering that brought together over 600 people, including representatives from ten governmental jurisdictions and more than 40 community-based organizations, in order to collaborate and focus on strategies for achieving racial equity in areas such as housing, employment, education and the environment, as well as share local and national best practices and further cross-sector strategies.
“Across our region—in community, business, nonprofits and government — there is significant discussion about race and racial inequity,” Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said. “Across all indicators of success — jobs, housing, education, criminal justice, health or any other area — our region suffers from great racial inequities that are holding all of us back.”
“The disparities in both opportunities and outcomes for residents of color make racial equity a regional issue,” St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said. “One we can only address through thoughtful collaboration among government, community organizations, school systems, employers and individuals.”
The event was held at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on August 5 at the McNamara Alumni Center and August 6 at Willey Hall, and included:
· Keynotes from Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society Director john a. powell, Glenn Harris, president of the Center for Social Inclusion, and Nekima Levy-Pounds, co-chair of Everybody In and Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis;
· A performance of “Breaking Ice” by the Pillsbury House Theater; and
· A dozen workshops focused on topics like jobs, health, environmental justice, transportation equity and the racial wealth gap
The Governmental Alliance on Race and Equity is led by Julie Nelson, former Director of the Seattle Office for Civil Rights and Race and Social Justice Initiative and john a. powell, Director of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at University of California, Berkeley. Both powell and Nelson are national experts on race and equity.
“This is more than conversation, “Julie Nelson, director of the Government Alliance for Race and Equity, said. “It’s an organizing strategy to ensure that groups and institutions are working together to achieve racial equity.”
Visit the website for the Governmental Alliance on Race & Equity for more information.
