A group of Minneapolis organizations plan to conduct research on racial equity in the Twin Cities for use in a “report card,” which they will release this fall. The coalition will examine the city’s government, Park and Recreation Board, and public school system to determine how each prioritizes racial equity.
“Racial report cards” have existed in the Twin Cities for many years, but the new report will build on existing models to include voting records of public officials and opinions from people of color on how they see their representatives.
These two factors have the potential to elevate this new report beyond the clamor of voices currently calling for racial equity in Minneapolis. Linking voting records with evaluations of people of color will hopefully spur efforts to encourage voter participation in communities of color — crucial not only in the upcoming presidential election but also in local elections.
We support public examinations of Minneapolis’s racial disparity and encourage officials to seriously consider the report card’s findings.
Some have described life in Minneapolis as “a tale of two cities” with regards to the intense racial disparities people of color experience. Another public report won’t immediately improve the situation, but it is a crucial first step to alerting policymakers and the public of extreme racial disparities and the policies which have effectively entrenched
segregation and inequality within our city’s structure.
We eagerly await the coalition’s report, and we hope lawmakers will pay close attention as well.
