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Convergence: National Conversations About Defending Democracy Held in Minnesota

National leaders for defending democracy gathered at the Minneapolis convention center August 21 to 23, partly to talk about how Minnesotans organized to protect neighbors from federal agents, and partly to prepare for the next onslaught of federal occupation, likely related to the upcoming November elections. A central message: True power comes from cross-sector collaboration between labor, faith communities, nonprofits, and other community leaders.

Taking Solace in the Ecofeminist Poetry of Mary Oliver

In the 1980s, ecofeminism emerged, combining feminist and environmentalist theory in the anti-capitalist assertion that the oppression of women and the oppression of the environment are strongly rooted together. Both resources have been subjected to masculine exploitation. For my capstone project at Brandeis University (where I graduated in May before returning to Minnesota), I analyzed Oliver's poetry with an ecofeminist approach.

The Surveillance of a Teacher

In early June, Thoreson’s work to help her community during Operation Metro Surge led to seven federal officers showing up on her front lawn. 

Insights About Co-Operatives

Policymakers, Indigenous leaders, and Black collective participants discussed the long-time benefits of a collaborative, co-operative system at the Minnesota Cooperative Summit in Duluth. "Community wealth is collective."

In Chile, a Group of Women Embroider to Keep Memory Alive 

The Bordadoras have influenced my thoughts on the politics of memory, the power of textile art, and the significance of the space that a group of people gathered together creates.

BOOK: An Ojibwe Home in the City 

“What if the home was always the place that Native women were organizing?” Suarez asks. 

The Long Fight Against Toxins in One Neighborhood

After her 16-year-old son Trinidad died in 2013 of dilated cardiomyopathy — a condition associated with exposure to air pollution — Holmes became an activist. Many people in her Indigenous community were dying before the age of 55, and she began to question what had once seemed normal.

Commentary: What is the Save Our Bacon Act in the Farm Bill?

The cutesy-named "Save Our Bacon Act" was introduced in Congress in July to support large corporations to strip states of the power to set their own standards for the food sold within their borders, and to nullify laws voters have already passed to protect people and animals.

SERIES: Collective Health

The needs, solutions, and action taken by community members to create a healthier society.

Part 4: How the Hennepin County Attorney Defines Public Safety

"I know victims who would much rather not have been victimized in the first place," she said. "When we know there are successful things that can keep kids out of the system and help them not come back, that's really about prevention. And that's the best public safety."

SERIES: Violence Prevention

Our ongoing conversations related to gender-based violence and gun violence

EXPLAINER: What Is Happening to Our Health Care, From Heather Cox Richardson

While the focus has been on produce, FDA records show what she calls “a steady stream of recalls” that includes “prepared foods, salad dressings, soups, bakery items and ready-to-eat products,” potentially contaminated with salmonella, Listeria, or foreign materials, including pieces of metal.