The City of Minneapolis has launched “Minneapolis Your Story,” a partnership with independent nonprofit StoryCorps Studios that will create an archive of community-centered stories focused on racial healing. The initiative aims to move our community toward a future grounded in racial equity and justice by harnessing the power of conversations to heal racial divisions.
“In Minneapolis, one of the most powerful tools in our collective journey toward racial healing is storytelling. Storytelling allows individuals to recognize the common threads that bind us all together in this fight for racial justice,” said Prince Corbett, Director of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, “Diverse communities are encouraged to share their personal experiences, providing opportunities for deep empathy and understanding. Through these stories, we gain insight into the lived realities of others, breaking down barriers and fostering compassion. It is through this process of sharing that we can truly begin to heal and move toward reconciliation.”
“At StoryCorps, our mission is to help people believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all—one story at a time,” said Caitlin Moses Bowser, Managing Director, StoryCorps Studios + Strategic Partnerships.
Through May, people will be able to record their perspectives in their own words and archive them as part of this special partnership. The community archive will include stories about the history of racial discrimination and injustice in Minneapolis, George Floyd’s murder, the civil unrest that followed, and the ongoing efforts to reform the Minneapolis Police Department.
Record and upload your own story online through May 31 at minneapolismn.gov/your-story. The StoryCorps mobile booth also will be at various places May 13-22. To record a curated selection of interviews with community members, or to find out more, go to minneapolismn.gov/your-story.
Following the collection of interviews, the City will host a community listening session with residents and community leaders to hear selected recordings. By capturing these voices, the City aims to provide healing and empowerment.
Everyone who participates in a StoryCorps interview can access a recording of their story, and with permission, their interview is preserved in the national StoryCorps archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The stories may also be featured at a number of additional partners such as the National Museum of African American History & Culture.