Publishers Commentary: Stepping into 2025 With Open Eyes and (Wounded) Open Hearts
“Growing Community” by Alison Price, who was featured in Minnesota Women’s Press in 2019
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” — from the Jewish Talmud teachings
In the earliest days of the pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Minnesota Women’s Press launched a second weekly newsletter — originally called the Ecolution Collective — with these words:
“Are you tired of current systems that degrade human connections and natural ecosystems? Do you have a passion or expertise around environmental health, economic equity, or conscious consumerism? Minnesota Women’s Press is using its unique storytelling platforms to connect people into a statewide community of people interested in action steps, best practices, challenges, research, and solutions-based reporting.”
I went on to describe the mission:
“We believe it is the collaborative, collective partnerships in our state, often led by women, that will generate community-based wealth and health in Minnesota. We want people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities who are engaged in equity, ecology, and economics to be part of our “Eco” team — sharing ideas about the people, science, challenges, solutions, and consumer choices we should be amplifying together.”
I coined the term Ecolution to describe a new category of content development — a weekly newsletter-driven platform — focused on community-based economies and the creation of sustainable and equitable ecosystems of people and planet. I wrote that it would focus on insights about collaborative partnerships and innovators revolutionizing “the eco” — anything from food justice to cooperative economies to regenerative agriculture to air and water quality. In the early days, we spotlighted Winona LaDuke: Leader in the Green Revolution; Kristel Porter: A North Minneapolis lobbyist for environmental justice; Climate Land Leaders: How women are regenerating earth; Priscilla Trinh: Visual Q&A about racial and environmental justice. Our first four-part series was about the work of Appetite for Change.
I wrote: “Today, if we look at the gaps between people’s perspectives, it tends to be ongoing disagreement about whether we have limited resources that should be controlled by some, or whether we are capable of collaboration in providing mutual aid for all. Some might boil this down to Fear vs. Love, or Generosity vs. Selfishness. I believe we are all choosing on a spectrum, regardless of political affiliation or faith.”
In my personal opinion — admittedly coming from a very wounded place this past week — one reason our country is where it is politically is because there are millions of people who believe in the individual cowboy who tames the wild to take the land and make his own life, which is not realistic, ethical, or sustainable. I think many people are struggling with the cognitive dissonance that comes from the dichotomy of: “I need to pick myself up by my own bootstraps, that I don’t have, and I resent anyone who is trying to be helpful.” So, power is given to people who have more than enough (and don’t like sharing), presumably showing strength in “the American way.”
However, in reality, we need each other. We need generosity of spirit and mind. We need tolerance and acceptance of people who are not simply versions of us. We need a balance of people — who are equals — to care for us in nursing homes and hospitals, teach our children in schools, feed us at restaurants with food that comes from the collective.
Since the election — feeling the pain of pro-personal-choice people, as well as immigrant families who are trying to build a new life in the U.S. — I have been thinking about the women in Iceland who went on strike for a day in 1975 — “Women’s Day Off,” leaving child care, house care, office care — to remind everyone of how essential they are to a functioning society. A BBC retrospective in 2015 quoted the divorced Icelandic single mother who became the world’s first democratically elected woman head of state just five years later: “What happened that day was the first step for women’s emancipation in Iceland. It completely paralyzed the country and opened the eyes of many men.”
Today, Iceland has led the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report for 15 years as the top-ranking country for women’s equality.
Where We Will Go Together
Although our funds have been too light to manifest the mission fully, we now have the start of a budget to move into the next stage of our co-operative concept with the help of a membership director to develop statewide connections. Minnesota Women’s Press is redoubling its legacy of centering marginalized voices in the face of misogyny, racism, homophobia, and the distancing mechanisms directed against poverty, vulnerability, and need.
Our Tuesday newsletter — now called Changemakers Alliance, of which Ecolution is a part — will continue to share stories from around the state about addressing gender-based violence, transforming public safety, and diversity in politics. Our Thursday newsletter continues to share the stories of resilience, hope, and determination from our print magazine pages.
We face the same issue as other women-led organizations and independently run media entities have long struggled with — we are not getting the revenue we need to do what we do. I made the tough decision to close the publication at the end of October. But we are still here, at least through our 40th anniversary celebration on May 1, thanks largely to the Hail Mary donation of Bill and Michelle Pohlad, as well as the donations of generous readers who heeded our calls to unlock the October matching gift from long-time supporter Kristin Siegesmund.
Combined with the support of loyal advertisers who recognize the value of feminist ideals, and ongoing Badass members who support content development, we are again able to fully pay staff and help us finally fund a membership/development director to bring in the additional revenue we need to meet rising costs. There are many stories and solutions — about mutual aid, for one — that we want to do together.
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“People speak of hope as if it is this delicate, ephemeral thing made of whispers and spider’s webs. It’s not. Hope has dirt on her face, blood on her knuckles, the grit of the cobblestones in her hair, and just spat out a tooth as she rises for another go.” — Matthew Crow, 2022
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The Role of Good Media
“The reason journalists actually covering these things are so important is that you can shine the light and apply the disinfectant on these things. You realize a thousand people are there to have a good time, to help support people in their communities who feel marginalized. Then you had six people who were party poopers, just to spew their hate and be miserable. It was important that we were there to tell that story.”
For 2025 coverage, Minnesota Women’s Press earned a community leadership award, three photography awards, and four editorial awards, including for coverage of social issues and for our Spring 2025 “Know Your Rights” special section supported by Unidos MN. Our publisher was named Journalist of the Year by Violence Free Minnesota for gender-based violence coverage.