Community-Driven Development: How are Communities of Color Defining and Leading Equitable Neighborhood Change?

On Thursday, December 4th, nearly 40 community members gathered at Goodwill Easter Seals for our second BCLI Issue Series of the season. Together we explored how to promote equitable community development without displacing residents and gentrifying neighborhoods in the Twin Cities. Building on the first Issue Series around organizing and engagement, we discussed the following

Racial Equity & Systems Change – What’s Organizing and Engagement Got to Do With It?

“Organizing is harder than brain surgery… And the reason it’s harder than brain surgery is: everyone thinks they can organize. Believe it or not…they think ‘Oh, I can do that job.’ But nobody walks into the operating room and takes the scalpel out of a brain surgeon’s hand and says ‘Hey, move over. I got this.’

Assess Your Work: Essentials of Community Engagement

Nexus Community Partners recently released “Assess Your Work: Essentials of Community Engagement” as part of its Building the Field of Community Engagement Initiative. The document answers the questions, “What is authentic community engagement and how does an organization know if it’s doing community engagement?” The document also provides a tool to help organizations, institutions and individuals

Sticks in a Bundle are Unbreakable: Nexus Launches 2014-15 Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute

On Thursday, October 9th, over 90 people gathered at the Dakota Lodge at the Division of Indian Work to celebrate power in community and to welcome the new Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) fellows into the BCLI family. These 15 fellows will be the next group of advocate commissioners advancing racial equity and social

Nexus Announces 2014-15 BCLI Cohort

Developing Leaders to Advance an Equity Agenda: Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute Announces its Second Cohort! Nexus Community Partners is pleased to announce the second cohort of the 2014-2015 Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI). The 15 cohort members come from various communities in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs and bring a wealth of experience

Green Line Station Designed by Local Firm 4RM+ULA African American Architects with Deep Rondo Roots

Owners of the architectural firm 4RM+ULA, located in Lowertown Saint Paul, believe the METRO Green Line has revived University Avenue and Saint Paul. “There is something awesome about feeling that you are connected again,” said the firm’s founder, James Garrett Jr. Architects James Garrett Junior (left) and Nathan Johnson designed the METRO Green Line stations.

On racial equity, Minneapolis is at the fork in the road

“When our partnership of more than 25 community organizations presented its “Vision and Agenda for Racial and Economic Justice” to Minneapolis City Council members and Mayor Betsy Hodges in January, we came in the spirit of partnership and collaboration. We know — because our communities are experiencing it — that the racial disparities in our city are destructive to our social