Welcoming Spirit Reflected in Polls, Headlines A recent feature story (“Austin’s True Colors”) in the Star Tribune describes how the meatpacking town of Austin has embraced its immigrants and created a new spirit of community vibrance. The article focuses on the success of the local high school basketball team and some star performers who are children of immigrants from East Africa. But reporter Chip Scoggins... Read More
A Strong Debut for “The Minnesota Equity Blueprint” The Minnesota Equity Blueprint rolled out amid considerable fanfare last week, earning statewide media coverage and winning praise from the dozens of participants in six communities along the Mississippi River that were part of the presentation. The Blueprint is 170-page guidebook with more than 140 recommendations for creating a more inclusive and equitable economy and a more su... Read More
Previewing the Equity Blueprint on AM950 Our soon-to-be-released Minnesota Equity Blueprint -- a comprehensive long-term guidebook for shared prosperity in a healthier environment – was the topic of a wide-ranging conversation recently on AM950. Growth & Justice Senior Fellow Dane Smith outlined how racial and geographic disparities, combined with rapid climate change, are clouding Minnesota’s economic fu... Read More
Minneapolis Fed’s Inflection on Equity The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is the latest influential institution in Minnesota to pivot toward equity in its mission statement and focus. An email announcing a “new mission and a new look’’ for 2020 was headlined “Pursuing an economy that works for all of us’’ and “How We’re Working for All’’ (bold italics ad... Read More
Note from the G & J President: Start with Gratitude, Keep Going with Courage & Wisdom The recent holidays gave me more time to reflect on and give thanks to you, our wonderful Growth & Justice supporters. Your ideas, your connections, and your dollars help break the logjam of fear and anxiety, to channel the currents of ever-present change into courageous and wise actions (such as those recommended in the upcoming Minnesota Equ... Read More