Assist the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Join the Volunteer Water Monitoring Program

As spring arrives in Minnesota, it’s time for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to kick off its popular program that relies on Minnesotans to monitor our 12,000+ lakes and 92,000+ miles of streams: the Volunteer Water Monitoring Program. 

The MPCA is currently recruiting volunteers to measure water clarity in numerous lakes and streams – including several high-priority sites across the Twin Cities Metro Area – and then report back to the agency. This is the perfect opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts and those interested in protecting our state’s natural resources! 

Over 50 years of environmental stewardship

When the University of Minnesota launched the Volunteer Water Monitoring Program in 1973, it would go on to become the second oldest, and still active, volunteer water monitoring program in the nation. Transferred to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in 1978, it has since become a roaring success, empowering Minnesotans from all corners of the state to support the health of our beloved waters.

Minnehaha Creek water monitoring

How does it work? 

Volunteers conduct a simple water clarity test in a body of water twice a month from April-September. MPCA provide all the equipment and training, so no experience is needed. 

The MPCA uses the data to help determine whether lakes and streams are meeting water quality standards, which are designed to protect aquatic life and recreational activities, such as fishing and swimming. 

In some cases, the information gathered by volunteers is the only monitoring done on a particular lake or stream!

A Secchi disk is an 8-inch (20 cm) disk with alternating black and white quadrants. It is lowered into the water of a lake until it can no longer be seen by the observer. This depth of disappearance, called the Secchi depth, is a measure of the transparency of the water.

Community Meeting Regarding Scooters on May 13 The Depot

Council Member Michael Rainville has arranged a Town Hall Meeting at The Depot, 225 3rd Avenue S at 6 pm on Monday, May 13.

Allen Klugman of Traffic Control, Dillon Fried of the Department of Public Works’ Mobility Team and Park Commissioner Elizabeth Shaffer will answer questions and concerns about the upcoming scooter season. Residents who live near the Lakes will also be in attendance to discuss their concerns.

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Join the meeting to learn more, discuss problems observed and get your questions answered. 

Ella Daniels Brings Valuable Experience to Mill City Farmers Market Executive Director Position

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Mill City Farmers Market (MCFM) has a new Executive Director, Ella Daniels, and she has the experience and enthusiasm to take our local farmers market to new levels of success. We talked to her about opportunities to grow the market’s programs, how technology can assist and new vendors. She taught us that people who shop at farmers markets have 15 to 20 social interactions per visit compared with 1 to 2 social interactions at a grocery store – isn’t that fact alone enough to get you to visit the market? 

Ella DanielsQ:  Congratulations on becoming the Executive Director of the Mill City Farmers Market! Can you share a bit about your background and experience in food resource organizations?

A:  Thanks so much. I’m a proud market shopper and donor of the Mill City Farmers Market, so to me, leading this organization is a privilege. My professional experience is focused on connecting food organizations with the resources and audiences they need to thrive. I grew up in Minnesota, but while living in Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to work across various levels of the food system: globally at the United Nations World Food Programme, regionally at the Capital Area Food Bank, and nationally at Partnership for a Healthier America. My work experience has given me valuable insights into the policies and factors that shape our modern food system, and its economic, health, social, and environmental inequities. I’m excited to be able to use this platform to highlight the power of eating locally and advocate for a more equitable and sustainable food system.

Q:  What do you see as the main challenges and opportunities for the MCFM in the upcoming year?

A:  Great question. I’ve been asking this and similar questions of staff, Board members, vendors and partners since I started in January. My goal is to be in “listen and learn” mode this year. One takeaway I can share from my “listening tour” thus far is that Mill City Farmers Market is known among vendors as a springboard to success for local businesses. This feedback is helping me recognize a big opportunity to help people understand how farmers markets work, how local businesses benefit, and what makes Mill City Farmers Market unique. Our market has grown so much in recent years, and our experienced staff have great suggestions about what it means to sustain success and what additional role we could play in our community. 

Q:  The MCFM is a well-run operation, but do you have strategies in mind to enhance the efficiency of the market's operations? What role do you see technology playing in the future of the MCFM?

A:  MCFM has a well-deserved reputation as a well-run operation, and that’s a testament to the leadership of Martha Archer, during her 13-year tenure, and a dream team of staff, day staff and vendors. One project we have planned to enhance our operational efficiency is upgrading our point-of-sale system. We soon will need a new credit card reader, so we hope to transition to an integrated hardware and software that can complete payments for SNAP/EBT, merchandise sales and market tokens and inventory them to save staff time on manual reconciliation and bookkeeping. SNAP transactions at our market have tripled in recent years and we see a big opportunity to continue growing the percentage of customers who benefit from Market Bucks, but payment processing takes more staff time. By upgrading this technology, we’ll meet two goals at the same time: happier staff and increased food access in our community.

Q:  Do you foresee new vendors that you will invite to the market?

A:  We had a record-breaking number of applications this year and just finalized a fantastic line-up of vendors for the upcoming summer season. I can’t spill the beans yet, but we will be announcing our new lineup of vendors soon. As with most news, our newsletter subscribers will be the first to know. But you can expect over 100 vendors, with many familiar names and some brand-new faces, too. 

Q:  Are there any changes you foresee in the layout or structure of the market?

A:  Market goers can expect the same layout and structure for 2024. Our indoor market season includes one more market on April 20th from 10am to 1pm inside the Mill City Museum, featuring 30+ vendors. On Saturday May 4th, we officially begin the outdoor market season. Summer market hours are from 8am to 1pm, May to September, then 9am to 1pm in October, before returning to indoor markets on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month from November to April. All summer long we’ll be hosting fun, experiential programming at the market like Mill City Cooks on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, weekly yoga (June-September), Storytime with the Guthrie Theater, and Mill City Kids and Power of Produce on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month.

Ella and family roll into the MCFM

Q:  What ideas do you have for fostering a sense of community among vendors and customers?

A:  This is my favorite thing about Mill City Farmers Market. I read a statistic from the Farmers Market Coalition that people who shop at farmers markets have 15 to 20 social interactions per visit compared with 1 to 2 social interactions at a grocery store. How cool is that? For me, the ingredients to foster a sense of community are curiosity, respect and good questions. Whether you visit us once a year or each Saturday, you are part of our community and you help us contribute to the growth and sustainability of our local economy. I’m proud of the fact that Mill City Farmers Market is a trusted destination where 175,000 annual customers can buy directly from over 100 small farms, food producers and entrepreneurs located within 50 miles of the Twin Cities.

Q:  Are there any outreach or educational programs you'd like to implement?

A:  Definitely. Through generous support from individuals and businesses in our community, we fund education and outreach for the Mill City Farmers Market through our Charitable Fund. This organizational model allows us to have a greater impact in our community by offering well-established programs to prevent food waste, improve food access, and invest in farmer-led solutions to build a more equitable and sustainable food system. When you donate to the Mill City Farmers Market Charitable Fund you help power our programming and close the gap between program demand and available funding.

Two programs we see an opportunity to grow with incremental funding are: Next Stage Grants and Greens for Good. For example, 32 emerging farmers and food makers applied this year for Next Stage Grants to scale their business operations but we can only fund 40% of these requests at current funding levels. On average, it costs $5,700 to help one emerging farmer unlock financial opportunity for years to come. Another program we’d like to grow is Greens for Good, a weekly food recovery program supported by Augsburg University volunteers and M Health Fairview Health Commons which distributes 10,000 pounds of high-quality surplus produce annually to 40 public housing residents in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. It would cost $14,500 to increase the program by 50% to meet the community demand for fresh produce. The project costs include farmer compensation at wholesale prices for 10,000 pounds of produce annually, staff support, additional volunteer stipends, additional compostable bags and a translator. 

Q:  How may we stay up to date with MCFM news?

A:  Subscribe to our newsletter! It is a fun read with market news and behind-the-scenes stories every Wednesday. Our communications manager, Maya O’Brien McLeod writes the newsletter and she’s doing something right because we have an above average open rate of 47%. We’re on Instagram and Facebook as well with more regular updates (@millcityfarmersmarket), but the best way to stay up to date with Mill City Farmers Market news is to become a regular shopper. We have one more indoor market inside the Mill City Museum on Saturday, April 20th, and we officially kick off the outdoor market season on Saturday May 4th. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Volunteer Opportunities to Help Care For Our Mississippi Riverfront

Public is invited to participate in shaping the Natural Resource Management for East Owamniyomni/Father Hennepin Bluff Park Lower Trail.

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1 - April 16, 6:30pm, Pillsbury A-Mill Performance Hall, 315 Main Street SE - Community Discussion: Caring for East Owamniyomni/Father Hennepin Bluff Riverfront 

Friends of the Mississippi River and Full Circle Indigenous Planning and Design will offer regional context for this planning and share their initial assessment and draft recommendations. Participants will be invited to offer ideas, respond to draft concepts, and sign up to participate in caring for nature at East Owamniyomni. You can sign up for care events this season here. 

Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA) has partnered with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for several years by engaging volunteers in nature restoration activities at Father Hennepin Bluff Lower Trail, part of the Central Mississippi River Regional Park. As the Dakota name for the falls is Owamniyomni, volunteers are calling this lower trail area East Owamniyomni.

In 2023-24, MHNA received funding from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization to complete a 10-year natural resource management plan for volunteer-led restoration at East Owamniyomni. Friends of the Mississippi River and Full Circle Indigenous Planning and Design are working together on this plan.  Essential parts of this planning process are evaluating its ecological health, and engaging Indigenous people and community members both in shaping the plan and playing a role in caring for nature in this special Mississippi River sanctuary. 

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2 - Thursday, April 25, 6:30-7:30p - Join a site visit about this plan, led by volunteers. Following the meeting, you are welcome to comment, including online, until May 16. The plan will be finalized in July 2024.

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3 - Tuesday, Sept. 10, 5:30-7:30p - The group will be planting shrubs as they launch implementation of the plan. This event is part of the 2024 season of care days - please sign up here for April - November dates!

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For more information or to join the volunteer leadership team, please contact Cordelia Pierson at cordelia.pierson@gmail.com, 651-815-1268 cell, LinkedIn, Facebook.

Help Shape the Future of Travel and Tourism in Minneapolis!

Destination Minneapolis: Charting the Future of Minneapolis Tourism

You can help shape the future of travel and tourism in Minneapolis! 

Meet Minneapolis, the city’s Convention and Visitors Association, is conducting a survey of Minneapolis residents. The information gathered will be part of an effort to develop an updated 10-year tourism master plan to increase the appeal of Minneapolis as a destination for travelers.

Please share you thoughts and be part of this important work. The survey, which closes on May 3, will take approximately 5 minutes to complete and all responses will be kept confidential.

The survey is available in four languages:

English - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MinneapolisEng

Hmong - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MinneapolisRShmong

Somali - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MinneapolisRSsomali

Spanish - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MinneapolisEsp

No One Asked You - A Discussion With Filmmaker Ruth Leitman

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A must see film at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival is No One Asked You, a documentary by Ruth Leitman, which highlights the efforts of Abortion Access Front and Lizz Winstead to support abortion clinic staff across the U.S. We talked to Leitman about the inspiration for the documentary and how everyone can play a part in supporting abortion rights.

Director Leitman and Winstead will both be at the film’s two showings and there’s also a fundraiser party with a silent auction, karaoke and DJ Tricky Miki spinning classic funk and disco. Get your tickets here.   

Q:  What inspired you to contact the Abortion Access Front in 2016, which led to the brilliant documentary No One Asked You?

Ruth LeitmanA:  Thank you for calling the film brilliant. I’m blushing, but your readers can’t see that in print. I think our subjects are brilliant, and even more important is that combination with a deep empathy and kind heart. I had met Lizz at Netroots Nation in 2012 during her Lizz Free or Die book tour while I was there screening my immigration documentary Tony & Janina’s American Wedding.

Then cut to 4 years later when Trump was elected. I was devastated and knew that things around many issues were about to get much worse, but especially abortion access. The next day I was watching MSNBC and of course there was Lizz as I so often saw her having to argue down the generalists who were naysaying that Trump would try to overturn Roe. I had the idea in that moment that this was the way I would maintain my sanity - making a film following Lizz and AAF through their work around abortion access using comedy and outrage to destigmatize abortion and provide support to independent clinics across the U.S. Fortunately for me and our team, Abortion Access Front was planning the Vagical Mystery Tour, a 16 city USO meets Habitat for Humanity tour across the US that summer.

Q:  What do you hope viewers will take away from watching No One Asked You?

A:  Too many folks have sat this one out, thought this would never happen. But it’s been clear for a while our democracy is being dismantled in front of our eyes and in this case that has never been clearer than in the erosion of bodily autonomy. So, what we want folks to take away is that it will take all of us to turn the tide. There’s a crisis that affects all of us and it’s going to take everyone doing whatever they can to commit to changing this erosion. In watching the film, Lizz and AAF show folks what they can do to get involved.

Q:  I think one theme from your documentary that every person can do something is extremely important in the constant fight for abortion access. How do you envision the film being used throughout the country to inspire action?

A:  Thanks, the film shows measurable things large and small that each person can do as they get involved in the abortion access activism fight. It was important to me to show folks watching that they can do something. Folks want to do something especially now, but to many, it just all seems impossible. We want folks to know that they are part of the solution! We are living at a time where we need all hands on deck in activism around this issue. We are also living in a time where the film industry and distribution is more fractured than ever. Companies base decisions on corporate interpretations of algorithms rather that audience enthusiasm. More times than not, they miss the mark. People are really loving and responding to the film. They are ready for it and empowered by it. We know that Americans support abortion. And we know there’s activism fatigue in this country. The film we have made and the approach we are taking in the impact engagement and distribution will be used galvanize folks around the issue of bodily autonomy. We are committed to getting this film out there where it is needed most and following the by any means necessary approach that No One Asked You was created with and in the spirit of the subjects of our film.

Q:  How do you see the role of storytelling, particularly through film, in influencing public opinion and policy regarding reproductive rights?

A:  I love being a documentary filmmaker. I think we have a critical role in the media landscape, that is grossly under resourced. We follow stories for long periods of time often without compensation. These are the stories we cannot leave on the table waiting for a film gatekeeper’s green light. That wasn’t going to happen. Especially since the film industry didn’t even think it was possible that Roe would fall. 

In regard to changing public opinion, I’m not sure that we need to. The vast majority of Americans are pro-choice. But many of them don’t understand that they are needed to help restore access through being outspoken and active. But we also have many folks in this country who are pro-choice without the understanding that to fully be pro-choice, one must also be pro-abortion. When screening this film for many who considered themselves the former, we have come far in changing hearts and minds to say the word abortion, because that’s the word and procedure that allows women and people with a uterus to make their own life decisions. Let’s take away the stigma and call it what it is without apology.

I also think it’s important for folks to see themselves in the people represented in the film in order to engage. We are seeing this happen at each screening of the film, folks who are educated and thought they were up on all the news. But the news failed to report on abortion access for decades and in large part this is why we are where we are in this moment. The media is complicit in where we are now. This is an issue that is vast. It is not a singular story. It is nuanced. There are many abortion stories to tell. Many of the audience members see themselves or someone they know in these stories. But also, abortion stories are unique to each person and each pregnancy. Doc filmmakers have had to step in to tell these stories because the media was not covering them unless they were extreme. 

Q:  Will we see you at the MSPFF? Will you speak?

A:  Lizz and I will be at both screenings for a Q&A - April 20 at 6pm & April 21 at 2pm at The Main Cinema. Lizz is also hosting a big party as a fundraiser for Abortion Access Front after the  April 20 screening. People who buy tickets to either screening can purchase tickets to the party as well. We’ll have some special guests and a special announcement for new ways that folks can help us support the film – our rad and ambitious impact campaign, volunteer opportunities and ways to help Abortion Access Front. We are here to make a difference and we have the film about the people and the new approach to activism that can do just that!

Q:  How may we follow your news as a documentary filmmaker?

A:  Please follow the film at https://www.nooneaskedyoudoc.com/, on Facebook and on Instagram and X @nooneaskedudoc. Follow me at ruthlessfilms.com on social media @ruthlessfilms.

Children's Theatre Company Announces 2024-2025 Season

Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) recently announced their 2024-2025 Season of six productions featuring a world premiere play, Drawing Lessons; a rolling world premiere musical, Milo Imagines the World; the thrilling spectacle, MOYA by Zip Zap Circus from Cape Town, South Africa; the return of the smash hit holiday favorite Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; the Minnesota premiere of Manual Cinema’s Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster based on the beloved books by Mo Willems; and a CTC original production of Disney’s 3-time Tony Award®-nominated musical phenomenon Frozen.

The season begins with MOYA by Zip Zap Circus, featuring an original soundtrack composed by Josh Hawks. Audiences will soar into the visual spectacle of this pulsating acrobatic performance set against the Cape Town skyline! Comic jugglers, unicycle dancers, and an authentic gumboot dance will take you on a freewheeling journey that explores the spirit and vitality of township life. Watch as a simple city bench becomes a sidesplitting spark for a newfound friendship, and feel the energetic beat of South African pop music. You’ll relish this thrilling feat of acrobatics and rhythmic movement that celebrates the joy of sharing community with one another. Best for all ages, MOYA by Zip Zap Circus runs September 12-October 20, 2024, on the UnitedHealth Group Stage.

Next, experience the energy of a graphic novelist’s imagination at work in the world premiere of Drawing Lessons by Michi Barall! Dynamic, jump-off-the-page animation shows Kate’s manhwa storyboards coming together, even as she deals with school, friends, and how her Korean heritage fits into her American lifestyle. Will her contentious friendship with Paul help or hinder her progress? Will either of them ever find their true artistic voices? Get drawn into this innovative story that magically takes place both on stage and on screen! Drawing Lessons is a co-commission with Ma-Yi Theater Company in New York, and marks the first full production of a show developed through the landmark Generation Now partnership between five theatres (Latino Theater Company, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Native Voices, Penumbra, and Children’s Theatre Company). Directed by Jack Tamburri, Drawing Lessons runs from October 8-November 10, 2024 on the Cargill Stage. This production is recommended for middle grade school students and up.

CTC’s beloved holiday smash-hit Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! returns this holiday season after last year’s sold out run. A miserly and miserable, ever-so-cantankerous Grinch has observed the despicable Christmas joy of the Whos with disdain, from a distance, for decades. Enough! In this holiday favorite filled with music and Seussian rhymes, he plots the greatest heist imaginable—stealing the very thing they love the most! Until, that is, the smallest of the Whos, tiny Cindy Lou, extends a hand. Through the combination of kindness and community, we witness not only a change in the course of Who-History, but the size and capacity of the old green guy’s heart. Directed by Dean Holt, this musical favorite runs November 5, 2024-January 5, 2025, on the UnitedHealth Group Stage.

In the new year, nationally acclaimed theatre company Manual Cinema comes to CTC with the Minnesota premiere of Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster based on the books by Mo Willems. Monsters have one job and it's to be SCARY! "Booga booga booga!" But as hard as he tries, Leonardo can't scare even a mouse. When the other monsters laugh and make fun of him, Leonardo goes in search of the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world to try and scare the tuna salad out of him! Manual Cinema breathes innovative life into this beloved story (and its doubly charming sequel), using hundreds of puppets to magically create a movie before your very eyes. Will Leonardo finally become the scary monster he dreams of being? Or will he discover something even better to be? Inspired by the Books Leonardo, The Terrible Monster and Sam, The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World by Mo Willems, Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster was commissioned by The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts with additional commissioning support from Utah Presents. Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster is best for younger audiences and runs from January 8-March 9, 2025, on the Cargill Stage.

Up next is the CTC-commissioned, rolling world premiere of the new musical Milo Imagines the World, based on the book by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson and brought to life by book writer Terry Guest and composers and lyricists Christian Albright and Christian Magby. On a crowded subway, Milo passes the time imagining the lives of the other passengers. See his illustrations brought to spirited life, featuring dynamic new songs ranging from hip hop and pop to country. Ride along with Milo from stop to stop as he begins to understand that first impressions aren’t always accurate, that his bossy older sister ReRe isn’t always an annoying diva, and that real life can sometimes be even more incredible than an imaginary one. Milo Imagines the World is a joint commission by The Rose Theater (Omaha, Nebraska), Chicago Children’s Theatre (Chicago, Illinois), and Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota). Directed by Mikael Burke, Milo Imagines the World runs from February 4-March 9, 2025, on the United Health Group Stage and is best for all ages.

For the season finale, Disney’s hit Broadway musical Frozen sweeps into Minnesota as Children’s Theatre Company premieres its original production of the hit Broadway musical. Sing along with Elsa, Anna, and the whole cast as they encounter magic that’s out of control, weather that’s fearsome, and Olaf, a snowman who melts your heart. Will Elsa be able to restore the balance between summer and winter? Will she and Anna ever be close again? Settle in for some hygge, a little bit of joiking, and a whole lot of letting go! Nominated for three Tony Awards® including “Best Musical,” Disney’s Frozen is directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene and runs April 15-June 15, 2025, on the UnitedHealth Group Stage. Best for all ages!

Full season subscriptions and renewals for the 2024-2025 Season are now on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the ticket office at 612.874.0400.   

5-Play Full Season Subscriptions range from $185 - $244 for adults and $145 - $206 for kids and seniors. 5- Play Preview Subscriptions are $125 for adults and $75 for kids. Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! can be added on to any 5-Play subscription for $37-$59 ($15-$25 for Preview.) These prices reflect a 25% discount off of the regular ticket price—one of the benefits of subscription at CTC.

CTC’s 2025-2025 Season of artistic and educational programming is supported by The Shubert Foundation, Inc. and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Mary Ann Key Book Club at Hennepin County Library

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Kia VangA discussion with Kia Vang, Senior Librarian and co-project manager

The Mary Ann Key Book Club invites our community to come together to read and engage in conversations about past and current injustices that impact Black, Indigenous and communities of color. We talked to Kia Vang, Senior Librarian and co-project manager about the history of the book club, the upcoming compelling events and how to stay curious about topics that impact us all.

Q: The Mary Ann Key Book Club is in its sixth season – congratulations! Can you tell us the history of the book club?

A:  In his December 2020 Star Tribune column, Myron Medcalf wrote about his desire to start a new book club, framing education as a powerful response to racism:

“And I always come back to this idea: ongoing dedication to education, which facilitates dialogue and tangible change. I'm not sure any effort against racism can thrive without that approach.”

Library staff saw an opportunity to propose a collaboration, and over the next several months, Mr. Medcalf and Hennepin County Library developed the foundation of this successful partnership. The Mary Ann Key Book Club is named after the matriarch of Mr. Medcalf’s family who was enslaved in Alabama and Georgia in the 1840s and1850s. The book club uses reading as a catalyst to engage readers in conversations around understanding and addressing past and current injustices that impact Black, Indigenous and communities of color.

Since its inception, the book club has received strong financial and event planning support from Friends of the Hennepin County Library. Their contributions have allowed the library to offer instant, always-available access to eBook and audiobook editions of each season’s title, in addition to expanded availability of print editions at your local library.

Each book club season has included a conversation with community panelists who discuss the overarching themes of each season. Some of the themes have included the racial caste system in the United States, the often-overlooked history of Indigenous people in this land and the perilous migration of people across the US-Mexico border. The library has hosted several events with past authors, including Cathy Park Hong, Dr. Debbie Reese and Javier Zamora.

Q:  What steps are taken to select books that represent a variety of perspectives and experiences?

A:  We’re committed to selecting books that center the stories, identities and lived experiences of BIPOC communities while also recognizing that no one community is monolithic. Themes and book titles are selected with consideration for the conversations, challenges, and changes that interest Twin Cities residents. While we welcome year-round suggestions, we proactively engage library staff, county colleagues and community members whose identities or work intersect with the themes and/or communities we want to center.

Q:  How do you approach books that may contain triggering or emotionally challenging content?

A:  We often ask ourselves, “What does the community conversation look like? What is the greater harm in not acknowledging the terrible injustices against BIPOC communities, and how do we discuss these matters with the utmost sensitivity, particularly for the communities we are centering?” These stories are not always easy to read because of the challenging content, but they are stories that need to be told. We encourage folks to read and discuss the book with friends, family, and colleagues – past readers have even shared that the collective reading experience helped them get through more challenging content. It’s also okay to set a book down, give yourself some time to process, reflect and return to the book later.

Q:  Please tell us about the current selection for the club.

A:  Our 2024 book selection is “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” by Anthony Ray Hinton. This powerful memoir tells the story of Mr. Hinton’s wrongful death row sentence and 30-year incarceration in Alabama. With the assistance of the Equal Justice Initiative, led by attorney Bryan Stevenson, Mr. Hinton was finally freed in 2015. The racism and failures of the criminal justice system that he faced are infuriating, but at the heart of the story is Mr. Hinton’s incredible perseverance and faith.

We selected this memoir because of the focus on mass incarceration and the inequities of the criminal justice system, particularly its high impact on communities of color, as represented in data from the Prison Policy Initiative.

Anthony Ray Hinton

Q:  What events will coincide with the reading of the selection?

A:  Hennepin County Library is incredibly honored to have Mr. Hinton join us in person at Minneapolis Central Library on Thursday, April 25, 6:30 p.m. Mr. Hinton will be joined in conversation with Myron Medcalf. The event will also be livestreamed and recorded.

We’re also looking forward to continuing the conversation on Thursday, May 16, 6:30 p.m. with Minnesota community panelists, all of whom have been justice-impacted. Moderator Minister JaNaé Bates will be joined by Marvin Haynes (represented by the Great North Innocence Project, Haynes was exonerated in December 2023 after serving 19 years in prison), Moseka Nhya and Kevin Reese. This event will be recorded.

Q:  How does the book club engage with the broader community, particularly marginalized communities, to foster a sense of connection and understanding?

A:  The primary goal of the book club is to use reading as the entry point for conversation, connection and understanding. We’re focused on centering the stories of BIPOC communities and inviting all community members to join us in whatever way best fits their interest – from reading or listening to the book on its various physical or digital formats to starting their own book discussions or attending library events.

With each season, we invite a panel of community leaders with personal experience to speak on the themes of the book and its connection to their life, communities and work. This conversation highlights the ways that historical and current injustices still negatively impact BIPOC communities in the Twin Cities, and we encourage community members to engage with one another across cultures, identities, and life experiences. You don’t need to be a Hennepin County resident to join the book club or attend the programs – all are welcome to explore the topics and stories that emerge.

Q:  Does the book club have initiatives or partnerships with organizations focused on social justice and equality to extend the conversation beyond the group?

A:  One of the outcomes for the Mary Ann Key Book Club is that participants connect with local organizations who are engaged in making meaningful changes in the community. This year we invited several organizations leading the efforts to destigmatize incarceration, provide re-entry services, champion meaningful policy changes, to table after the author talk and share more information with participants and encourage action beyond the book club.

Some of the organizations include the Great North Innocence Project who represented Marvin Haynes, Until We Are All Free, We Are All Criminals, Turn Signl, Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, and the Hennepin County Law Library.

Q:  How does the book club encourage self-reflection among members regarding their own biases and privileges?

A:  Access to a broad spectrum of ideas is foundational to our service as a public library, and for some, this book club might be one of the few opportunities where participants are hearing about experiences and perspectives that are different from their own. As participants read and discuss each season’s book, we hope participants examine their own ideas and beliefs, and notice where they may hold assumptions that can be harmful.

Q:  Are there resources recommended for members to continue their education on issues raised in the books?

A:  We encourage book club participants to continue their learning by staying curious, continuing to examine their own biases, and learning about organizations and individuals engaged in work to advance criminal and social justice in the community. For materials related to the Spring 2024 season, check out the library’s booklist, watch “True Justice,” a documentary that follows Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative, and explore additional criminal justice reform resources curated by the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.  

Q:  How may we follow Hennepin County Library News?

A:  More than 3,600 people are currently subscribed to the Mary Ann Key Book Club newsletter. It offers insightful commentary from Mr. Medcalf, community panelists, and great library resources for continued learning and exploration. Sign up for the newsletter or visit our website for up-to-date program details.