Center for Prevention

The ThreeSixty Journalism Multimedia Storytelling Institute has had another incredible summer! Students interviewed sources, wrote text stories and scripts, recorded voiceovers and anchor reads and completed SIX story packages.

Congrats to the incredible storytellers who participated in camp this year! And, many thanks to these incredible community partners who shared their stories with the students: Indigenous Peoples Task Force, Native American Community Clinic, Birth Justice Collaborative, African American Babies Coalition, Kente Circle, and Urban Roots.

A lack of public health data has masked huge racial disparities in overdose deaths from fentanyl and other opioids. Sahan Journal examined more than 240,000 death records to get a clear and startling picture of the epidemic’s toll.

Who are these Minnesotans? Sahan Journal looked at death records to find out which communities are most at risk. They confirmed that the problem is far worse for people of color in Minnesota. And, with new data and greater clarity, they're showing how the disparities are impacting specific communities: From 2019 to 2023, Native Americans were at least 15 times more likely to die from opioid overdoses than white people. Somali Minnesotans were at least twice as likely to die from opioid overdose than their white counterparts. Latino Minnesotans were 1.5 times more likely to suffer fatal overdoses.

Overlooked: Who suffers the most from the opioid epidemic in Minnesota? Sahan Journal examined 240,000 death records in Minnesota to produce a clear and startling picture of who is dying most often from fentanyl and other opioid overdoses.

📢 Happy Juneteenth! 🎉

Today, we commemorate a powerful moment in history—the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, news of freedom finally reached the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, marking a pivotal step toward justice and equality.

Juneteenth is a time to reflect on our past, celebrate progress, and commit to a future where freedom, equality, and justice are a reality for all. Let's honor the resilience, culture, and contributions of Black communities. 🖤✊🏽

Join us in celebrating with love, learning, and action. Whether it's through community events, educational resources, supporting Black-owned businesses, or having meaningful conversations, let's continue the journey toward a more inclusive and just society.

Happy Juneteenth! ✨

Many members of the Hmong community practice Hmong shamanism, an orally transmitted religion in which worship takes place almost exclusively in the home. Additionally, some in the Hmong community follow Christianity. Families may have members with differing religious beliefs or those who combine aspects of the two belief systems into their spiritual practice. Advancing

To learn more about Hmong culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-hmong/

Addressing the most pressing health challenges in the Hmong Minnesotan community begins with integrating Hmong cultural beliefs and practices into health care. This can include addressing language barriers with interpreters and integrating spiritual beliefs into the healthcare experience. Advancing

To learn more about Hmong culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-hmong/

At the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), in the Community Commons gallery, artwork created by students from various area high schools line the walls. These pieces, which are inspired by works in Mia’s collection, focus on racism as a public health crisis. Read more below.

Student artists reckon with racism as public health crisis at Mia Student works at the Minneapolis Institute of Art explore the intersection of racism and public health outcomes.

May is Mental Health Awareness month and in Minnesota, mental health providers are embracing a broader perspective that recognizes the intersectionality between mental health and the use of commercial to***co.

Learn more about how NAMI, African American Survivor Services, and Touchstone Mental Health have been taking steps to integrate to***co recovery support into their mental health services with help from the Lung Mind Alliance coalition, who has been providing education, technical assistance and material resources to organizations.

Advancing Commercial To***co Treatment to Improve Mental Health in Minnesota May is Mental Health Awareness month and in Minnesota, mental health providers are embracing a broader perspective that recognizes the intersectionality between mental health and the use of commercial to***co.

Nationally, Native American and Black women, according to the CDC, are twice as likely as white women to die of pregnancy-related causes. And when there isn’t a death, bias and discrimination can still lead to harm. A survey commissioned by Blue Cross Blue Shield Minnesota revealed that more than half the respondents — all Black birthing people in Minnesota — cited discrimination as having a negative effect on their health. The survey also indicated that many respondents had low confidence that their needs were being met, especially postpartum needs.

Learn more about the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota survey and find resources here: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/black-maternal-health/

https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/cultural-postpartum-maternal-health-care-black-indigenous-women-key-reducing-harm/

Cultural maternal health care for women of color key to reducing harm A survey revealed that more than half the respondents cited discrimination as having a negative effect on their health.

Hmong Minnesotas represent 25% of Minnesota’s Asian American Pacific Islander community and nearly 94% lives in the Twin Cities. The Hmong population has grown more than 45% since 2000 with the vast majority having now lived in the US for more than a decade. Advancing

To learn more about Hmong culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-hmong/

The Hmong are an ethnic minority community with their own distinct culture and language. Originally from southern China, they are an agrarian society, a tradition they continued as they migrated to Laos, Vietnam and Thailand in the 19th century to escape political violence. Similarly, the Hmong traveled 7,700 hundred miles to find safety as refugees in snowy Minnesota. Advancing

To learn more about Hmong culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-hmong/

Today marks the last day of the seventh annual Black Maternal Health Week, organized by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Held each year from April 11-17th, the week focuses on building “awareness, activism, and community-building​ to amplify ​the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people.”

The state of maternal healthcare and birth equity is rife with alarming statistics. One of the most troubling realities is that Black birthers face disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, starkly contrasting with their white counterparts.

Read more in the Sahan Journal about understanding and improving Black maternal health, including how African American Babies Coalition, Appetite For Change and Roots Community Birth Center are leaders in this important work.

Understanding and Improving Black Maternal Health This week marks the seventh annual Black Maternal Health Week, organized by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Held each year from April 11-17th, the week focuses on building “awareness, activism, and community-building​ to amplify ​the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black Mamas a...

The stark disparity in maternal mortality rates between Black birthers and white birthers is a glaring symptom of systemic racism and inequality within our healthcare system.

Despite advances in medical technology and knowledge, Black birthing individuals are disproportionately dying during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum periods compared to their white counterparts. This tragic reality cannot be attributed to biological differences but rather to the structural inequities that pervade our society.

Learn more: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/black-maternal-health/

A pivotal piece of legislation currently in the Minnesota State House, aims to establish a process for requesting a racial equity impact note for all future legislation. The bill represents a critical step forward in our collective efforts to address racial and economic inequities in policy making and analysis. By embedding racial equity impact assessments into the legislative process, this bill proactively addresses the root causes of health inequities.

Thanks, in part, to support provided by Blue Cross and Vayong Moua, Director of Racial and Health Equity Advocacy, pictured below advocating for the bill, HF2821 has officially passed out of the House Economic Development and Policy Committee and referred to the House State and Local Government Committee!

Shakopee High School is implementing an outdoor smudging space for its Native American students, who are helping construct it.

Nail by nail and board by board, students in the school's Engineering and Manufacturing Academy are busy building something that's never been seen on a Minnesota high school campus.

"It's one of our core things that's like been consistent throughout all our histories that we smudge and use the smoke to cleanse ourselves," said junior Chanta Brewer, a member of the school's Native Group. Read the full story:

Shakopee High School's Indigenous students building outdoor smudging space Shakopee High School is implementing an outdoor smudging space for its Native American students, who are helping construct it.

To experience civil war is to experience fear in the place you call home. It is to experience political instability, violence, and famine. It means living in constant uncertainty about one’s safety.

The Somali Civil War began over 30 years ago. It continues today. It has forced many Somalis from their homes, their homeland, and all things familiar, in the search for safety and security. This is part of the story of many members of the Somali community in Minnesota.

Watch the video below to learn more about this incredible community.

Cultural Humility Series: Somali Building on tradition in a new homelandTo experience civil war is to experience fear in the place you call home. It is to experience political instability, v...

Students gather at Capitol in support of bill banning flavored to***co products A bill that would ban the sale of flavored to***co products has been referred to the House Finance Committee. Young people across Minnesota are some of the bill’s fiercest advocates.

Lacrosse is returning to the Olympics in 2028, and the Haudenosaunee Nationals have no intention of watching from the sidelines. The team represents the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the sport’s birthplace, which straddles the US-Canadian border and is made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Seneca, Onondaga and Cayuga people. The Haudenosaunee Nationals’ Olympic campaign in 2028 wouldn’t be a first. In 1904 a team of Mohawk players took part in the St Louis Olympics, but they were officially representing Canada. Now these longtime contenders on the international scene seek to make history and play under their own flag at Los Angeles 2028, making them the first North American Indigenous nation to do so.

The Haudenosaunee Nationals’ quest to play under their own flag at the Olympics Joe Biden has backed a Native American lacrosse team’s bid to compete at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. But IOC rules stand in their way

Meet Coleman Cox, director of Cherokee Nation's harm reduction program. Twice a week, he drives a van of life-saving supplies to Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, to Vinita, a town of 5,000 about 70 miles north. Cox provides clean syringes, naloxone, and more, tailoring aid to individual needs. This mobile unit is just a part of Cherokee Nation's $100m strategy to tackle opioid overdoses, integrating cultural values into addiction care. Read more here:

‘We hold you sacred’: how a mobile drug unit is fighting the opioid crisis in the Cherokee Nation Led by Native people, an Oklahoma program provides life-saving supplies and addiction care to remote tribal areas

Appetite for Change views food as a tool to build health, wealth, and social change in the historically African American area, North Minneapolis. The community-led nonprofit focuses on urban agriculture, policy change and trainings. Advancing

To learn more about Black culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-african-american/

Central Minnesota Community Empowerment Organization (CMCEO) is on mission to eliminate barriers to healthy eating and increase the availability of culturally relevant foods for East African and Somalian community members in Saint Cloud Minnesota. CMCEO is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering immigrant communities and people of color in Central Minnesota. CMCEO aims to address social, economic, and educational inequities faced by these communities and advance their collective well-being, health, and self-sufficiency.

With support from the Center for Prevention’s Food Justice Funding Initiative, CMCEO is working to empower community members to learn about healthy food choices, preserve cultural traditions related to food and health, and increase the availability of healthy and culturally appropriate foods. Driven by direct input from community members on what is needed to create healthy change, CMCEO is using a multifaceted approach that incorporates education, policy change, and community engagement to advance food justice.

Eliminating Barriers to Healthy Eating for East African and Somali Community Members in Saint Cloud Central Minnesota Community Empowerment Organization (CMCEO) is on mission to eliminate barriers to healthy eating and increase the availability of culturally relevant foods for East African and Somalian community members in Saint Cloud Minnesota.

The cultural health of the Black community in Minnesota — and the country — has been irrefutably impacted by the legacy of structural racism. A significant effect of structural racism is unequal or inadequate medical treatment for communities of color. For example, implicit biases of health care workers can negatively impact medical outcomes for Black patients. But cultural health extends beyond the doctor’s office. Advancing

To learn more about Black culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-african-american/

Minnesotans of African heritage make up 8% of the state’s population and 81% live in the Twin Cities. 36% of Black Minnesotans are African American. Advancing

To learn more about Black culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-african-american/

The story of the Black community in Minnesota illustrates incredible leadership, teaching, advocacy and artistry, all while navigating systems designed specifically to restrict opportunities for Black people. It reflects the power of relationships, collective action and self-determination. Advancing

To learn more about Black culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-african-american/

"Justice isn’t pie. One piece getting bigger doesn’t mean others get smaller. We all benefit when we help systems identify, eradicate, and inoculate themselves from oppression and racism. And, while it’d be great to move as one cohesive unit, it’s important to know that this train isn’t stopping. The only real decision anyone has is whether they’ll find themselves in the train cars or left behind on the platform."

Teron Buford, director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota reflects on Black History and the imperative work of inclusion. Read the full article:

Our freedom is intertwined: Reflections on Black History and the imperative work of inclusion When I’m faced with harmful questions like “is DEI still necessary?” or “why are we still talking about race?” or “why can’t you just get over it?”, I often think about my children’s lived experiences and contrast them with mine and those of my mother and grandmother. Without a dou...

American Indians experience some of the worst health inequities in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Indians and Alaska Natives are almost three times more likely than white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Centuries of systemic and structural inequities have directly contributed to disproportionately high rates of diabetes amongst Indigenous peoples. Prior to colonization, tribes had highly sophisticated food and agricultural systems that were interconnected with tribal culture, language, and spiritual health. Indigenous diets tended to be localized, low-glycemic, and high in wild protein and essential fatty acids.

Continue reading at: https://blog.bluecrossmn.com/our-communities/improving-indigenous-community-health-through-food-sovereignty/

The story of the Black community in Minnesota begins before the establishment of the state. From only a handful of people, this community has since grown into a foundational pillar of the Twin Cities and beyond. Minnesota’s Black residents have shaped the state’s policies and legacy through their contributions to the fields of law, entrepreneurship and the arts, to name only a few. Advancing

To learn more about Black culture in Minnesota, visit: https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/culturalhumilityseries/cultural-humility-series-african-american/

Season 3 of Remembering Resilience podcast is now available on various podcast platforms! The podcast focuses on Native American resilience through and beyond trauma.. exploring concepts, science, history, culture, stories, and practices. The hosts delve into individual and collective healing, with a new addition exploring food sovereignty as resilience.

Listen and learn more here: https://rememberingresilience.home.blog/

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota just released a new report outlining the cost of smoking in Minnesota. The report shows that smoking costs Minnesotans $4.7 billion every year in direct healthcare costs, or $824 per person. While we continue to make strides in reducing overall smoking rates, there’s much more work to be done. Learn more and read the report here:
https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/cost-of-smoking/

Martin Luther King Jr. was a driving force behind the American civil rights movement, becoming one of the most influential civil rights activists for African Americans in the mid-1950s before being assassinated in 1968. In 1957 King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) after successfully leading the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott to force desegregation of the city’s buses. The SCLC was committed to achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protests. With the SCLC, King traveled across the world giving lectures on nonviolent protests and civil rights. Throughout his travels he engaged with communities, leaving a long-lasting impact in the fight for African American civil rights.

Landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act would not have been possible without nonviolent and peaceful protests like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington. King worked with several civil rights and religious groups to organize the march to shine a light on the injustices African Americans faced across the country. King gave his most famous address at the march, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech. The speech and march cemented King’s reputation as he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME magazine and in 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Shock waves reverberated around the world on April 4, 1968, when King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while supporting a sanitation workers’ strike. His assassination was felt by all, but sparked anger among African Americans as they viewed this act as a rejection of their pursuit of equality through the nonviolent resistance King had championed. The nation mourned his death, which ultimately helped speed the way for an equal housing bill that would be the last significant legislative achievement of the civil rights era.

Today we honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his impacting legacy on race relations in the United States.

Learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and other visionaries at:
https://www.centerforpreventionmn.com/visionaries/martin-luther-king/

Minnesota’s history, and its current makeup, would look drastically different were it not for the significant contributions of the Latine Minnesotan community. This community has impacted our state for the better, and all while facing the mercurial changes in policy and public opinion that constantly relitigates who deserves to live here.

Watch the video below to learn more about the amazing Latine community in Minnesota.

Cultural Humility Series: Latine A vital and growing part of MinnesotaMinnesota’s history, and its current makeup, would look drastically different were it not for the significant contributi...