Twin Cities score 100 for LGBTQ equality
The Column reports that Minneapolis and St. Paul received the highest possible scores for LGBTQ equality, according to data from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
In Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul each scored 100 points, the highest possible score. The average score for U.S. Cities was 56; all Minnesota cities scored above average.
Minneapolis and St. Paul missed a few bonus points by not having services targeting LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ homeless, and LGBTQ elderly, and for not having any openly-LGBTQ municipal leaders such as city council members (though other city elected boards do have LGBTQ members, it appears that HRC did not take that into account).
Read what the Twin Cities mayors had to say and how major out-of-state cities scored at The Column.
NOC workers selected to lead grassroots organizing exchange program in eastern Europe
Anthony Shields and Mike Griffin will be spending two weeks in February in Bulgaria and Slovakia helping to implement new community organizing initiatives aimed to help minority groups. Photo courtesy of Mike Griffin/NOC.
Kristoffer Tigue at MinnPost’s Community Sketchbook caught up with two local organizers who will bring Minneapolis’ brand of grassroots organizing across the pond as part of an exchange program now in its fourth year.
What does Minneapolis have to bring to the table?
Mike Griffin said at Neighborhoods Organizing for Change they were able to show their European exchange-fellows how to mobilize a large base of supporters connected through social media, and also how to focus on long-term, broader goals like enacting legislative changes.
Anthony Shields said community organizing revolves around tapping into what the community members want and galvanizing them to act on it themselves. And when it comes to mobilizing youth, minorities and other historically marginalized communities, he said, Minneapolis organizers are leading the pack.
He pointed to the Minneapolis budget hearing last week where NOC and Black Lives Matter Minneapolis organized more than 60 people within a few hours to pressure the city council to drop a provision that would have provided $605,000 to the Minneapolis Police Department for renovations to its Fourth Precinct station — the site of recent protests over the killing of an unarmed black man by police.
Read more over at MinnPost.
New MPS superintendent Paez makes many promises
Minneapolis Public Schools’ preferred choice for its new superintendent, Dr. Sergio Paez, spoke with the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder about the improvements he wants to make to the district.
In short, Paez is optimistic about closing the achievement gap and increasing the graduation rate.
He told the MSR, “I want to challenge the community to work with me, to collaborate in many [ways] that are appropriate.”
Check out the full interview at MSR’s website.
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