Acknowledge

Minnesota has recently come under fire as one of the least racially progressive states in the nation. Being raised outside of the South in a state that never legalized slavery, it was always implied throughout my elementary education that racism, slavery, and discrimination were exclusive to the history of Southern states. It was implied that because the North disapproved of slavery, its citizens thought that racial inequality was immoral. Realizations—like Professor McKinney’s statistics from Oregon concerning the approval ratings for no slavery and no blacks allowed—that shatter my naively idyllic vision of America developed during these foundational years continue to surprise and disappoint me. I was recently on Facebook, when I noticed that a friend had shared a post from Black Lives Matter Minneapolis of an article entitled: “Minnesota ranks dead last for racial integration.”

The article cited two sources citing the extreme racial disparities in the Twin Cities. One a national ranking of racial progress measured by statistics such as medial annual income, homeownership rates, voter turnout, etc. The ranking places my home-state, Minnesota, last for racial integration and second to last for racial progress (https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-most-and-least-racial-progress/18428/#). The second source was a recent New York Times article entitled “Minneapolis’s Less Visible, and More Troubled, Side.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/11/us/minneapoliss-less-visible-and-more-troubled-side.html?_r=0) The article highlights the disparities between black and white residents such as unemployment rate and median income. Racial tensions from the “nice” state have come to a head with the emphasis on social justice and racial awareness over the past few years. Following the shooting of Michael Brown, one protestor was run over by a car, and Black Lives Matter protestors threatened with gun violence by a group of white males.

Maybe it is just because I am paying more attention to the news and social and racial injustice since I have been at college, but there seem to be more articles acknowledging and analyzing some of the serious disparities present in the Cities. Whether or not this is actually the case, I find that it is important to be educated on the realities of the world, country, or state in which we live. The historical tendency to ignore the struggles and disparities between black and white residents needs to become a thing of the past. As many of you have previously posted, one of these places is in the educational system. Another way may be cultural awareness. Either way, a problem must be admitted to be present before it can be addressed.