Issues of equity and justice are not new to ULTC, they are at the core of our mission. They also are not new to the Twin Cities, which has for decades struggled to reconcile its progressive external image with the internal reality of disturbingly deep disparities between whites and blacks in education, employment, health, homeownership, and wealth.
In 2020, Urban League Twin Cities launched the Center for Social Justice (the “Center” or “CSJ”). The mission of the Center will be to promote access to justice and rule of law, advance equity and build capacity within the African American community through civic engagement, community organizing and public policy research and advocacy.
Our primary goal is to ascertain, assert and advance African American experience and perspective on issues of equity, justice, and power to favorably impact policy, programs, plans and resources that impact black people. A secondary goal is to engage the broader community in the work of justice and equity to affect beneficial outcomes for African Americans.
READ OUR PRIMER ON CONSENT DECREES HERE.
State of Black Minnesota Report 2021
Commissioned topic experts present analysis, commentary and proposals in seven key metrics of Black life: Black health and wellness, criminal justice, generational wealth, education disparities, Black business, arts and culture, and Black faith.
Taken together, the report reveals significant and encouraging change in 2021, but also the confounding continuation of historical inequities:
Preview the full report here.
Minnesota Becomes First State With A Task Force On Missing And Murdered Black Women And Girls
In June 2021, it was reported that Minnesota was to become the first state to have a task force on missing and murdered African American girls. There are currently 64,000 Black women and girls missing in the United States.
The bill to create the task force was unanimously approved in February and became law on September 20.
Rep. Richardson is the Chair of the Education Policy Committee and has been appointed to the task force. She was one of the bill’s primary authors.
