Nonprofit Mission Award for

Anti-Racism Initiative

Criteria

This award recognizes creative applications and nontraditional approaches to solving community challenges. Nominated organizations should:

  • Bring creative solutions to community challenges;
  • Employ a variety of strategies in developing these solutions; and
  • Collaborate with other nonprofit organizations, businesses and governmental agencies in their efforts.

Finalists


Vote for the Nonprofit Mission Award for Anti-Racism Initiative

Staff and volunteers of MCN members only are eligible. You will need your MCN member ID number when you vote.


Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial

On June 15, 1920, three African American laborers from a traveling circus, Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Isaac McGhie, were hanged by a mob of thousands after being falsely accused of raping a white woman in Duluth, Minnesota. For nearly 80 years these men were forgotten, until a group of citizens decided to restore them to collective conscious so that their community of Duluth might recognize their complicity in these murders, while also beginning the process of healing and reconciliation. Their first task was to build the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, which was unveiled in 2003, at the site of the tragedy and is the only American monument of its size dedicated to victims of lynching.

This building committee then formed a nonprofit, the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, Inc. (CJMM, Inc.), to continue to “bring the truth to light” by raising awareness of racism as a historic, institutional and systemic phenomenon, but also continuing to build bridges and restore the community in the Twin Ports area. CJMM Inc. uses a number of outlets including public presentations, media statements and educational DVDs that they produce, to educate the community on systemic racism and white privilege. They also hold an annual Day of Remembrance at the Memorial and award a $1,000 scholarship to an area student who is committed to their mission.

CJMM, Inc. seeks racial justice via education, reconciliation and healing, and developing partnerships. They have three main routes of influence in Minnesota. First, the Memorial is a literal symbol ofatonement and reconciliation. Every year, people gather on the Day of Remembrance to consider the lessons taught by the memorial and consider what a fairer society would look like. Second, CJMM, Inc. is a credible voice on diversity, tolerance and how to dismantle racism and they are open to conversations on these topics. Board members of CJMM, Inc. lead trainings and discussions based around their DVDs and the history of the lynching. They also publicly advocate anti-racist positions, including the sale of tax-forfeited county land in tribal reservation boundaries back to the tribes. Third, CJMM, Inc. is committed to supporting youth as they seek higher education and an understanding of how racism has affected their own lives.

As a result of the CJMM, Inc. new paths to reconciliation have been opened, creating a healthier community. In 2008, Warren Read, direct descendent of a lynch mob organizer, attended the Day of Remembrance with Elmer Jackson’s cousin, Virginia Huston. CJMM, Inc. hopes to teach about racism’s impact through their Memorial, the Day of Remembrance and other programs.

Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial Web site: www.claytonjacksonmcghie.org


Pangea World Theater

Pangea World Theater presents international, multi-disciplinary theater to illuminate the human condition, celebrate cultural differences and promote human rights. They seek to build relationships between artistic and human rights organizations to create a powerful collective foundation for work that merges alternative and marginalized voices into the mainstream. Their programming reaches adults and children from a diverse audience, including minorities and immigrants. Pangea has developed partnerships with various organizations across the state to be able to sponsor productions, speaker series and presentations of international artists. They have gained the support of people involved with various social service, ethnic, economic and political organizations, and have been able to build bridges between communities, enabling personal interchange of ideas and culture.

The direction of Pangea World Theater comes out of relevant shifts in social, cultural and political topics of the communities where its audience lives and works. They seek to bring artists together to confront stereotypes, challenge audiences with diverse perspectives and aesthetics, and to push the boundaries of accepted forms of art. In every production, the actors come from a variety of ethnic groups and are forced to cross boundaries and confront questions of race, ethnicity and cultural difference. Also, approximately 30 percent of the audience served is low-income, which the theater supports by providing discounted and free tickets and conducting programming in areas frequented by specific immigrant and minority communities.

Pangea seeks to inject the local theater scene with new and provocative programming through their four core series. First, Voices of Exile showcases work from refugee and immigrant communities. Second, Indigenous Voices highlights the work of local, national and international artists during Thanksgiving week as they examine issues of identity, rights, struggles and experiences. Third, Alternate Visions offers playwrights of color the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time writing and developing new plays, with the resources and support of Pangea. Last, Bridges brings together artists of color and immigrant artists from the Midwest to examine new ways of collaboration and cultural expression across the divide of race and ethnicity. Pangea World Theater is the only theater in the Twin Cities that provides a stage for artists from a variety of immigrant and minority communities to come together through art, working to understand different cultures, create art from many different cultures for the broader community and to foster the creation of theater that draws on cultural traditions while at the same time, advancing theater. Pangea works to build bridges of understanding through the arts.

Pangea World Theater Web site: www.pangeaworldtheater.org


PFund Foundation

PFund Foundation’s Racial Equity Initiative builds the organizational capacity of independent organizations that serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities of color through grant making and technical assistance and helps to cultivate LGBT leaders of color. PFund is committed to supporting the LGBT community by providing grants and scholarships, developing leaders and inspiring others to give to these organizations.

PFund recognizes that racial inequalities exist in many areas, including health and wellness, school readiness, economic success and civic participation. They believe this is also true in LGBT communities where injustice and racism exist in what many see as a white movement. Thus, through the Racial Equity Initiative, PFund seeks to eliminate racism internally and externally.

This initiative began as PFund had conversations with people in the community and recognized a need. Currently, there is an advisory board of LGBT people of color who advise on decisions made by the initiative. PFund hopes that as they help to build the capacity of LGBT people of color organizations, their visibility and strength as part of the LGBT movement will increase. Also, by investing in community leaders, they ensure that LGBT people of color voices are present and active in influencing every level of our communities. The Racial Equity Initiative seeks to be the first established pipeline for LGBT people of color funding and leadership development.

During the fall and winter 2007-2008, PFund worked with Marnita’s Table to bring together leaders from the LGBT and allied communities of color. During these three meetings, topics included historical oppression of people of color in the LGBT movement, leadership in the LGBT communities of color, funding access for projects and programs serving LGBT communities of color, and developing opportunities for leaders in LGBT communities of color to enhance their leadership skills. Out of these discussions, the Racial Equity Initiative was born and PFund began working with Family & Children’s Service and Pillsbury United Communities to develop programs and implement trainings.

While the Racial Equity Initiative is committed to providing funding and developing leaders in the LGBT communities of color, many argue that one of the greatest successes of the program is that it provides an opportunity for LGBT people of color to come together and build community. By gathering like this, thee communities can build power through shared learning. Their support also helped to form Color CoordiNATION, a multi-cultural LGBT people of color organization, and they also support Pride events and assist leaders in attending trainings and conferences.

PFund Foundation Web site: www.pfundonline.org


Vote for the Nonprofit Mission Award for Anti-Racism Initiative

Staff and volunteers of MCN members only are eligible. You will need your MCN member ID number when you vote.


The Minnesota Nonprofit Awards are a joint project of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and MAP for Nonprofits.

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
2314 University Avenue West, Suite 20
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114
651-642-1904
info@mncn.org

MAP for Nonprofits
2314 University Avenue West, Suite 28
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114
651-647-1216