Last Friday, at our Annual Leadership Awards Celebration, we celebrated the concrete change we have all won that makes our lives and the lives of our loved ones – and our whole state better.
But last Friday wasn’t only acelebration of what we won, it was a celebration of how we won. Look around you, and you will see a new grassroots movement that has taken hold of our state.
Who was in the room on Friday?
Elected officials like Governor Mark Dayton, Speaker Paul Thissen, and members of the Minnesota House and Senate who acted to make our cities, our state, our nation more equitable.
Minnesotans who organized people in the streets, in government, or online. And the people who love and support someone who works so hard to make the world a better place.
Because of what we all won this spring, the future of our children is brighter, our unions are stronger, and love is the law.
The conventional wisdom used to be, that only what happened inside the state Capitol mattered. If you weren’t there, then you should just wait to hear what was decided.
But this year – unlike any in recent memory –people all across Minnesota led with their own talent and creativity and changed the status quo.
- In Belle Plain, a farmer on MinnesotaCare spoke up for her own health – and won health care for 200,000 more people.
- In Duluth, homeless advocates, community groups, and unions flooded their legislators with emails – and put the people of Minnesota at the center of the new health care exchange.
- In Grand Rapids, 60 people turned out to a forum to demand that taxes be raised fairly – and now more than a $1 billion will be invested in our kids.
When Minnesotans speak up – WE ALL WIN.
Two weeks ago, in front of a packed house on the Northside of Minneapolis, Target Corporation announced it would ban the criminal history box on all its job applications. Nationwide. What we won is a fair shot at employment AND a big step toward closing the racial jobs gap.
How we won is the story of a 4 year campaign led by people who know the reality that our criminal justice system never offers a second chance. 4 years of action in the streets, online, in the courts, and at a shareholders meeting. And 4 years later, the 2nd largest retailer in the country accepted its responsibility to close the racial jobs gap.
When people who feel the impact of injustice lead – WE ALL WIN.
Last week, after TWO long victory parties – Betsy Hodges was elected mayor of Minneapolis. She’s smart, she’s a visionary, and she walks the talk.
How Betsy won is what sets her apart. Rather than side step racial gaps in our city – she built her campaign to close them. She painted a picture of how none of us – whether we are white, black, brown – how none of us are whole, if some of us are left behind.
For as long as race and racism has been part of America, progressives have avoided it.
What Betsy proved Tuesday night is that when our words – and our deeds – challenge racism – WE ALL WIN.
The rest of the country is looking at Minnesota right now and asking, how did you do that?
These stories of leadership from Greater Minnesota, leadership from the Northside of Minneapolis, the leadership of our elected officials – prove that no one person or organization can do it alone.
It takes a movement.
That’s why TakeAction Minnesota connects that individual desire we each have to change the world to other people who want to do the same.
As we find each other and work together – not only do we build the power to make a difference – we discover within ourselves – and each other – and that so much more is possible.
Thank you for celebrating with us what we, together, make possible.
Thank you.
