Welcome Letter

Dear Community Member:

Long winters aside (unless you really like winter), Minnesotans can take great pride living in one of the healthiest, most vibrant and civic-minded states in the nation. We are known to be hard-working and modest, creative and entrepreneurial, and increasingly diverse.

Yet, hard as we try, not all Minnesotans experience this same quality of life. Our state struggles with significant disparities in wealth, juvenile justice and education between white communities and communities of color.

We also know that racism helps perpetuate these gaps. But aren't we over that yet, some of us might ask? Sadly, no, and racism's harmful effects continue to be felt by many Minnesotans.

The good news is that together, we can affect racism and reduce it in our communities. I have seen firsthand what happens when people come together, willing to work on this issue together.

For the past five years, The Saint Paul Foundation's Facing Race We're All in This Together® anti-racism initiative has brought conversations about this tough issue to communities around the state. We have facilitated hundreds of these discussions and have heard Minnesotans of all backgrounds talk about how racism has affected their lives.

The desire to solve this issue is strong. This is our opportunity to be part of the solution and work together on fresh approaches.

We are proud to partner with InCommons, which takes a new approach to advancing solutions by bringing Minnesotans together to share conversations, tools and resources.

I look forward to having you join the conversation by entering your idea for what you can do to help reduce racism in your community - and maybe your idea will be one of two to receive $2,500!

Need help getting started? Find inspiration and learn more at www.FacingRace.org.

Sincerely,
Rowzat Shipchandler
Racial Equity Manager, The Saint Paul Foundation