North Star Journey

How did your family end up in Minnesota? Do you know the story of your ancestors’ journey? In the 1800s, immigrants to our region primarily came from Scandinavia and Germany. More recently, major populations have come to Minnesota from Laos, Somalia, Mexico, Liberia, Ecuador, Afghanistan and India. In fact, almost 500,000 people who live in Minnesota today were born outside of the United States. B...

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts on Friday. During this time, Muslims observe a strict fast from dawn until sunset. That means the breaking of the fast at sunset, known as iftar, is a special event. The fast is usually broken with dates and a drink, depending on the culture. Since August, Muslim deli Holy Land in northeast Minneapolis has been prepping for an influx of customers. The deli h...

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the power of poetry with Junauda Petrus , the newly appointed Poet Laureate for the city of Minneapolis. She says poetry is “soul medicine” that can unite us in our shared humanity.  Guest: Junauda Petrus is the recently appointed Poet Laureate for the city of Minneapolis. She is an author, playwright, filmmaker and co-founder of the experimental artist colle...

During the era of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation, 87 locations in Minnesota were listed in the Green Book, a guidebook that helped Black travelers find lodgings, businesses and gas stations that would serve them. But less than a quarter of these sites in Minnesota remain standing today. Most of the state’s Green Book sites were in the Twin Cities and many were demolished to make way for the...

On Feb. 19, 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that enabled the forced removal and incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans in camps located mostly in the western United States. Many were citizens. Those camps closed a few years later and those who were detained resettled around the country. Vinicius Taguchi, president of the local chapte...

Despite the freezing temperatures, the farmers at Route 1 Farms are already deep into harvesting lettuce and herbs this winter. They are growing food through a new creative way of indoor farming. The organization specifically focuses on supporting emerging farmers of color in the state. Route 1 Farm's executive director Marcus Carpenter joined Minnesota Now to talk about the project.

In celebration of Black History Month in February, MPR News is highlighting Black history throughout the state. From a fur trader believed to be one of the first African descendants in territory that is now Minnesota, to streets and parks renamed in 2024 after Black community leaders, these sites span the state and the centuries. Click to explore Black history sites throughout the state Southern M...

MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests continue the conversation about the Minneapolis Police Department and an ambitious effort led by the Police and Black Men Project.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with retired professional soccer player, Tony Sanneh, about the programs his foundation has developed to empower young people to become the best version of themselves.  Guest: Tony Sanneh is a retired professional soccer player and the founder and CEO of The Sanneh Foundation , a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul that aims to create positive social change th...

2025 marks 50 years since Hmong people started immigrating to Minnesota. Today, the state is home to a vibrant community of at least 95,000 Hmong Minnesotans. Through the Minnesota Historical Society and the state Legislature, the Hmong Cultural Center in St. Paul and the Hmong Studies Journal received a grant of nearly $25,000 to publish a special issue of the journal that will commemorate 50 yea...

A Pew Research study finds that 34 percent of U.S. adults who listen to podcasts say they regularly listen true crime podcasts. A Minnesota-made podcast is taking that genre in a different direction. Minnesota high school debate coach and wedding photographer Celisia Stanton noticed many wildly popular true crime podcasts seemed to ignore some of the systemic issues plaguing the criminal justice s...

Traducción Léelo en español A coalition of Minnesota Latino organizations called the Minnesota Latino Leadership Alliance held a press conference at the capitol Jan. 14. The group was advocating for initiatives for the upcoming legislative session, one of which is the proposed Minnesota Latino Museum , which would be a center for Latino arts, culture and heritage. “We are looking to build the firs...

“Strawberry shortcake, blueberry pie. Rondo Double Dutch got a team, and we know why,” a group of young voices chant on a track the St. Paul organization made with artist Bionik. Rondo Double Dutch is the brainchild of Mercedes Yarbrough, an educator who wanted to bring Double Dutch to a new generation in her community. She joined up with Jelahn Prentiss, who goes by Coach Twist, to expand her vis...

One year ago, St. Paul made history when it became the first major city in the U.S. to install an all-female city council. Just as remarkable: This group also makes up the youngest and most racially diverse council since St. Paul incorporated in 1854. Six of its seven members are women of color. All are 40 or younger. Related Links From Talking Sense: Two St. Paul council members reveal how they o...

A new children’s book by a Twin Cities author is out Tuesday. It’s called “Saturday Morning at the ‘Shop” and it’s the debut book for Keenan Jones, who is a middle school English teacher in the metro. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the book and how it came to be. Jones has several book launch events coming up, including one Jan. 11 in downtown Minneapolis and another Jan. 18 in D...

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a Twin Cities rapper and mindfulness instructor who says yoga saved his life.

MPR News host Angela Davis revisits a conversation with brothers Anton Treuer and David Treuer about their latest books, reclaiming Ojibwe culture and growing up together on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota.

We revisit a conversation with Rose McGee, president and founder of the Sweet Potato Comfort Pie organization, and her daughter, Roslyn Harmon, the mayor of Golden Valley, Minn.

The first night of Hanukkah is on Dec. 25, which means Cecil’s Deli in St. Paul will fry up thousands of latkes in the next couple of weeks. The Jewish institution is Minnesota’s oldest deli and this year it is celebrating 75 years in business. MPR News host Nina Moini talks with two people who are part of the family business that spans four generations: Becca Kvasnik, the granddaughter of Cecil a...

The weekend of Dec. 21-22 will be Minnesota’s last chance to experience the longstanding and beloved holiday show, A Christmas Celebration with The Steeles. After 40 years, the Minnesota gospel group is wrapping up their run of Christmas concerts. Siblings J.D., Fred, Jearlyn, Jevetta and Billy Steele have brought their joyful holiday harmonies to Minnesota audiences since 1984 and plan to do so o...

Rachel Hardeman and Simone Hardeman-Jones are identical twins who share more than DNA. They also share a commitment to addressing racial inequities. Rachel Hardeman is a professor at the University of Minnesota whose research is used nationally to show how racism affects health. Her work illuminates the disparities between the experiences of Black mothers during pregnancy and childbirth and their...

Every year Forbes comes out with its prestigious 30 under 30 list. It highlights people making a change across various industries who are under the age of 30. In total, 30 people are selected across 20 industries. This year’s list includes Caitlin Clark and singer Noah Kahan. And it also includes a Minnesotan. Angeline Dukes, an assistant professor in neuroscience at the University of Minnesota wa...

Newcomers to America — be they immigrants, refugees or even international students — have access to a variety of social services to help them begin a new life. But do they feel like they belong? That was the topic of discussion at the North Star Journey Live conversation recorded in Moorhead, Minn., on Nov. 21. MPR News senior reporter Sarah Thamer traveled to Concordia College for the internation...

A Minnesota author has put out a new book about her life with pieces from her grandparents’ orchard in Somalia, her teen years in a refugee camp and her adulthood in the U.S. and Minnesota. In “My Dear Loving Sisters: Tea and Stories from an Audacious Life,” Fatoun Ali lays out how she survived poverty and abuse to raise four children and start a nonprofit. Ali created the piece in a workbook form...

The Pohlad family announced last month that they were looking to sell the Minnesota Twins after owning the team for 40 years. Well, for almost that long, the Pohlads also have had a private family foundation. It gives away millions of dollars every year to nonprofit organizations around the Twin Cities. In recent years the foundation has focused on two priorities — giving money to ease the housing...