Onward in 2015!

Posted January 21, 2015

The New Year has me thinking a lot about our great state.

Minnesota is home to 5.3 million people and 852 cities.  We have four different ecosystems. We are vast, different and unique.

But we are also so much alike. We are Minnesotans.

I have lived in six of our state’s cities. From a tiny little farming town on the border of South Dakota to the heart of our largest city. Each place has shaped my experience of what it means to be a Minnesotan. One thing is clear to me: we all want a good life for our family, friends and neighbors. And the things that get in the way of someone thriving in north Minneapolis are the same as the barriers to living the life you choose in Duluth. 

Whether we are talking about a failed criminal justice system or the antiquated workplace that holds women back, the only way we are going to move on a path toward a Minnesota that leaves no one behind is if we move together.

The city I live in now (and love so much!) also affords me the privilege to work for an organization grappling with what it is going to take to win real change in people’s lives. … Continue reading »

Calling with babies.

Posted September 18, 2014

I don’t have kids myself. Perhaps that is why I am so elated when kiddos come to our office with their parents. 

Last week we had a little four month old girl come to a night of calling with her mother. (I spent a good portion of the evening calling with a sleeping baby on my lap!)

As I called other women in the 8th CD that night and heard babies crying or kids refusing to eat dinner or giggles of bedtime shenanigans, I felt an incredible resolve to talk to these families about why the elections mattered to them.

This is bigger than a victory on election night. This is about women talking to other women about what we need in Minnesota for women and families to succeed- paid time off to care for a sick child, paid paternity leave, affordable childcare.

It is so compelling and honest to watch our Duluth office fill to the brim each Monday and Thursday with a group of women ready to work. The elections aren’t the answer to the big daunting problems we face. But they are a start. They are a place we gather to share what isn’t working, and begin talking about what we can do next.… Continue reading »

What’s happening in the North Country

Posted August 13, 2014

It’s been a busy summer in the North Country for TakeAction Minnesota. We wanted to make sure you knew what we’ve been up to, so we’ll be writing a blog post every month. Here’s our first installment…

It is election season. Picnics, parades, and door knocking abounds in the beautiful land of tall pines and big lakes. It’s my favorite time of the year.  As much as I love running on the amazing trails we have, I am equally jazzed to work hard to elect a slate of progressive Northlanders who will work to create a community that works for everyone.

From Grand Rapids to Duluth we are talking about why the elections matter to us. In Grand Rapids two 90 year old Rosie the Riveters marched in the Tall Timber Days parade to highlight the long way we have come, and the long way we have to go, on women’s economic justice. In Duluth we are hosting working families’ phone banks to talk about why paid sick days matter to working families.

Yes, it’s nice outside. Yes, we could all be dipping our feet off the dock. But would that get us where we want to be in November? Not so much.… Continue reading »

The Road to Equality Tour

Posted June 3, 2014

In May, more than 100 women joined us in Duluth to talk about building a Minnesota that works for women and their families.

Continuing the conversation this month, our friends at the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota will cross the state for their 2014 Road to Equality Tour. See the details below:

“The tour will take us to seven vibrant Minnesota cities: Duluth, Grand Rapids, Rochester, Twin Cities, Mankato, Willmar, and Moorhead.

We’ll share the latest findings from our 2014 Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota research and learn from you how well the new data represents what’s happening for women and girls in your community.We’ll also show you how to use our new online research tool, Gender Equality Explorer.”

Interested? Head to their website to sign up. … Continue reading »