Editor’s Letter: When Community IS the Power

Over the past few years, Minnesotans have carried more than their share of grief and strain. The murder of George Floyd forced Minneapolis into a global spotlight and left communities wrestling with trauma and distrust. The killing of Melissa Hortman and her husband by a politically motivated attacker — and a school shooting two months later — reminded Minnesotans that violence can also come from the everyday fractures of a troubled society. Against that backdrop, the political climate and violent federal enforcement operations of today could have broken the state.

Yet, Minnesotans have, again, made an impact on history: documenting abuses for global awareness and future legal cases while rallying together in subzero weather to protest the affront to democracy, providing aid to families forced to hide, and even pelting a white nationalist with icy water balloons.

Minnesotans will need next to tend to long-term economic, mental, physical, and electoral health. The trauma of “Operation Metro Surge” filling neighborhoods with masked agents, tear gas, and guns, on the pretext of targeting violent criminals and fraud, is not something we will forget — nor should we.

There is much Minnesota Women’s Press will unpack over time — especially about the lack of corporate voice to match the actions to protect employees and customers, and how abusive control is used to subjugate others. We will continue to showcase our trademark personal narratives and commentaries from women working diligently at the grassroots level.

Minnesota’s undocumented immigrants make up a small percentage of the population, yet contribute hundreds of millions in taxes. Thanks to underwriters like Unidos MN — which supported this magazine issue in a big way — we will increase storytelling in our “This Is US” series, to help everyone get better acquainted with the varied immigrant cultures that define us. Our “Future Forward” series, largely told by people under the age of 30, focuses on Minnesotans working toward systemic change.

Our strength as a media platform has always come from sharing stories of everyday people who work collaboratively to impact minds, communities, and policies. We will enhance those efforts in the coming months in new ways. Our membership ambassadors are preparing to host local discussions about values and solutions based on the stories we share.

And, importantly, we will begin to shift to co-op ownership, as we noted in the July 2025 “Co-op Culture” magazine.

Minnesota Women’s Press is uniquely poised to share its storytelling vehicle with co-op members who know what needs to be said and done, and want to support narrative change. Keep informed in our weekly newsletter (womenspress.com/subscribe) as plans are revealed.

Special Note

We mark the passing of our beloved co-founder Glenda Martin, who died peacefully on December 19, at the age of 91. At a memorial service in January, held at a library to commemorate her love of books, people shared perspectives on how she saw a story in every human being — and loved the patterns and reminder of all interconnection found in jigsaw puzzles.

because of the deep support of Unidos MN as underwriter, we were able to do much more story sharing for this topic

Perspective — Collective Refusal to Surrender Humanity, by Emilia Aválos Gonzalez