Poll: More Minnesotans are rising up to fight racism and learn about social injustice

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Minnesotans of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds cite community engagement, growing awareness of racism, and cultural celebrations and awareness as some of the most positive things happening in their communities right now, according to a new poll.

The Minnesota Diverse Communities Survey published by the APM Research Lab asked 1,532 Minnesota residents of various racial and ethnic groups what they thought was the most positive thing happening in their community right now. The survey also asked participants to rate the overall quality of life in the state and answer the question of what they would like to see addressed to improve the state.

“I think the most important thing to remember is that no group is a monolith,” said Benjamin Clary, senior research analyst at APM Research Lab.

For black Minnesotans:

12% cited police reform and Derek Chauvin’s verdict as the most positive thing that has happened in their community. Chauvin is the former Minneapolis cop convicted in the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

12% cited anti-racism and social justice.

Another 12 percent responded to community participation.

“The responsibility we have seen arise with the Derek Chauvin case has given our community hope that maybe, just maybe, things will finally change,” said a 29-year-old black woman from the Twin Cities .

The Hmong, natives, and Latinxes of Minnesota all had cultural awareness as one of their primary responses.

A 61-year-old Native woman from greater Minnesota responded, “Revitalizing the Dakota and Ojibwe languages ​​at the early childhood level” as the most positive thing in her community.

The people of Minnesota were asked a slightly different question: “What’s the most positive thing going on in Minnesota right now?” “

Responses focused primarily on COVID-19, with vaccinations and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions as the primary responses.

Despite the positives, the most common response among all groups was that they did not know what was going on most positively in their community. Latinxes, non-Hmong Asians, Natives, and Hmong all had over a third of the response that there is nothing to be positive about. For blacks in Minnesota, it was 27%; for white Minnesotans, it was 21 percent.

“I think there is still work to be done to understand why this response is so important,” Clary said.

According to the accompanying report, many Minnesotans of various racial and ethnic backgrounds “want the media to feature them in stories about positive things happening in their community and not just when there is a negative story to tell “.

On the question of what participants think should be addressed in the state, responses remained varied across all groups, although there were common themes of racial and social justice, tax reduction and tax reform, and the fight against political partisanship.

For Clary, the investigation serves as a starting point.

“We certainly received answers to the questions we asked, but I think in a lot of cases it just raises more questions,” Clary said. “Hope this raises more curiosities.”

Consult the APM report as well as the complete list of positive elements proposed by survey respondents.

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