Future Forward: The Leadership We Need Is Already Here

 

Our new Future Forward series is focused on voices (many of them under the age of 25) who envision how we build the community we actually need, once we wipe away the detritus of the historic infrastructure that is devolving in front of us — and destroying as it goes. The commentary below is from one of the voices in what this future holds. This series does not yet have dedicated donors or underwriters; to change that, and enable us to pay writers and team, contact us.

 

 

In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr.’s final book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? posed a crucial question that remains urgently relevant in 2026: Will we choose to contribute to the chaos or commit to building community?

Today, cruel government budget cuts; disavowals of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and violent incursions by ICE, threaten to undermine the vital work of racial justice. As we try to make change in a world of human-manufactured crises, we need leaders to speak out with a clear vision. As Audre Lorde taught, “silence will not protect you.” We must be the leaders we seek in this season of chaos to continue the struggle for change.

Recently, we heard Minnesota youth share their 2026 legislative priorities, which are powerfully grounded in demands for economic justice and a rejection of violence. These are the very same issues that Dr. King championed in the 1960s: better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and equal education. And as in the 1960s, advocates for radical, humane change are met with vile, violent resistance.

As history repeats itself, we must ask: Now what? What is the future we are all committed to building together, despite the persistence of structural violence?

 

 

My name is Dr. Brittany Lewis. I am a Black feminist scholar-activist and the founder and CEO of Research in Action, a Minneapolis-based social benefit corporation that centers community expertise to create actionable solutions for racial justice.

Known by some as “Dr. Do,” I have spent more than 18 years partnering with local communities impacted by racial injustice. Together, we co-create new knowledge to drive progressive change to policy and practices that make a tangible difference in people’s lives. I build authentic relationships, which means I do not shy away from the inevitable discomfort that arises when we try to dismantle inequality. In this work, I always center the lived experiences of those most impacted. Their wisdom shapes strategies to target specific bricks in the wall of oppression, knowing that others are strategizing to dismantle other parts of the wall.

My leadership and work have been used to catalyze action in myriad ways, including:

• Expanding rights for tenants facing evictions in a Minnesota Supreme Court case.
• Eliminating a harmful self-pay policy at homeless shelters in Hennepin County.
• Guiding the creation of a tenant protection ordinance for the City of Minneapolis.
• Co-creating the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity special purpose credit program focused on eliminating barriers for historic Black homeowners.
• Creating the first Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls at the Minnesota State Legislature.

This work has never been easy, and it is even more challenging in this historical moment. However, it is vital work that requires leaders who have a deep understanding of what they and their community need to make it through the long haul of social change.

Facing injustice in so many areas of our collective lives, where do we even start?

As a Black queer woman in America, I am acutely aware that recent, hard-won progress is under threat. History teaches us that opponents of change regularly turn to the politics of fear and incite violence. Despite this pattern, I am grateful to live in a state that remains steadfast in its commitment to the humanity of all people. Minnesota’s dedication is evident in state legislation supporting gender-affirming care, voting rights for formerly incarcerated people, and paid family and medical leave.

Our state attorney general demonstrated commitment to the rule of law through the prosecution of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, and through action against multiple landlords guilty of exploiting tenants.

What connects all these victories? They were made possible by everyday people — like you and me — who spoke up, spoke out, organized, and advocated relentlessly. People who built strategic partnerships and cultivated pathways during hard-fought battles that required years, and sometimes decades, of pushing for progress.

Those everyday leaders understood a crucial fact: our initial vision for policy or practice change will encounter numerous roadblocks. Crucially, in any effort to create change, you must know how to strategically chip away at the individual components that make up the larger problem you are targeting.

To achieve transformation, we must be strategic, willing to embrace discomfort, and committed to the long game. This essential work must be grounded in love, free from ego or impatience.

• Do you have a clear vision of the ultimate objective and the incremental steps required to achieve the change you seek?
• Are you capable of, and committed to, building a diverse coalition to meet those goals — even if it means shifting your own understanding?
• Finally, do you possess the patience and humility to remain dedicated to this effort over the long term?

If yes, I want to partner with you to help step confidently into the work of social change as this Future Forward series develops.

The intention of my monthly column at Minnesota Women’s Press will be to share an example from my work, and the work of other leaders in the community, that showcase the strategic efforts, skills, and frameworks that generate change. Drawing insights from successful and not-so-successful projects, I hope to inspire and encourage readers to see the building blocks of effective leadership and change-making in their communities.

Are you ready to be the change we seek in the world? Let’s continue this conversation. Future forward!

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