Racial Justice and Public Policy Blogs

YWCA Minneapolis President and CEO Shelley Carthen Watson was one of more than a dozen community leaders who spoke at a rally at the State Capitol in support of the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment.

“As a leader in racial and gender equity, we empower communities to protect reproductive freedom, stand against race and gender discrimination and promote justice for all people.”

Creating meaningful change toward eliminating racism in Minnesota is within our reach. YWCA Minneapolis used live events to spark meaningful change in the last year. Learn more about It's Time to Talk: Forums on Race™ and It's Time to Act!™ and how participants learned about leaning into discomfort and confronting uncomfortable histories.

Our school systems have failed to live up to the promise of providing quality and enriching education for all students. In some states, legislation actively hinders inclusive practices. Here in Minnesota, we have a unique opportunity to lead the charge for transformative change by fostering elements of DEI in schools.

As we continue to explore the “Web of Racism” and its focus on systemic racism in the United States, health care stands out as an institution that historically reproduces race-based disparities. A closer look at what is meant by “health care disparities” includes the different ways that racism is manifest in the clinical and hospital experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Taking time to learn about the varied layers of racism at work within the healthcare system produces several different lenses with which to learn more about this topic.

The Web of Systemic Racism identifies areas wherein Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) experience unequal or lack access to resources everyone needs to thrive in mainstream society. Examined here is systemic racism in housing practices, touching on access to high-opportunity neighborhoods, access to basic housing quality and homeownership.

This year’s It’s Time to Talk: Forums on Race™ event will be one for the books — we are expanding to a half-day summit featuring keynote presenter Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and breakout sessions with local activist presenters Dr. Joi Lewis and Kyle "Guante" Tran Myhre.

We asked YWCA Minneapolis employees to identify their favorite Black-owned businesses and organizations in Minnesota to uplift National Black Business Month. The following is a list we compiled from their recommendations.

One year ago on June 24, the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the historic Roe v. Wade case protecting the right to an abortion under the Constitution.

Our racial justice learning manager created a learning guide for employees and board members of YWCA Minneapolis for the upcoming Juneteenth holiday. We're sharing it with you now as fundamental knowledge, a sequel to last year's Juneteenth blog.

Our country was founded on the genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans. When the forefathers of this nation wrote "liberty and justice for all," the "all" did not include the surviving Native population and enslaved Africans. Our country was founded upon the complete dehumanization of Black and Brown people, a history, a philosophical phenomenon, we have not yet reconciled or recovered from.

Meet Olaitan Olanrewaju (Ola), our Capitol Pathways intern and a third-year University of Minnesota student studying Strategic Communications and English Literature! The Minnesota Capitol Pathways Program opens access to policymaking and public service to the next generation of leaders who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

In K-12 education settings, CRT refers Culturally Responsive Teaching, a vital framework grounding educators, youth workers—and all who aspire to be socially aware—to shift teaching and guiding principles to recognize cultural and historical differences.

Voting isn’t just a civic duty—it’s a powerful way to make your voice heard on the issues that matter most to you, your family, and your community.

Your participation is key to ensuring that Minnesota’s values are reflected in its leadership.