The Grove Racial Justice Initiative

10/24/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y53NFPhGR0o

The RJ team stands with The Grove Pride Team, and as such we are sharing this courageous and visible action by a fellow UMC in Dallas, Texas, after their governor ordered city rainbow crosswalks to be painted over.

🌈❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙💜🌈

A church in Dallas is turning its front steps into a symbol of support after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered rainbow crosswalks be removed statewide.Read more: http...

10/15/2025

This gallery option explores the Indigenous community through a special exhibit on those who express as 2-Spirit. "Indigeneity is a multi-year, multi-generational project that celebrates the vision and diversity of 2-Spirit, Native q***r, gender expansive artists in the Upper Midwest at the MInnesota Museum of American Art."

Queering Indigeneity is a multi-year, multi-generational project that celebrates the vision and diversity of 2-Spirit, Native q***r, gender expansive artists in the Upper Midwest. In seeking out and amplifying voices of Indigenous artists and culture bearers, the M, guided by Penny Kagigebi, hopes t...

10/15/2025

Looking to do something which celebrates and explores diversity right here in the metro? Try these two opportunities!

The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) preserves, records and celebrates the history, art and culture of Blacks in Minnesota through exhibitions, programs and community events. https://maahmg.org/ Visit link for info on current exhibits!

The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) preserves, records and celebrates the history, art and culture of Blacks in Minnesota through exhibitions, programs and community events.

09/15/2025

Sixty-two years ago today, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Multiple members of The Grove United Methodist Church visited here in recent years.

This NPS link has excellent details on the event:
https://www.nps.gov/places/sixteenth-street-baptist-church.htm

08/15/2025

A few weeks back, I saw a NYT article on best shows on Netflix. One was "North of North," and I am here to bring it to your attention! It has the same notes of culture, family and community as "Reservations Dogs," only this one focuses on the Inuit in very northern Canada, up in the Arctic circle! Real issues examined through drama, humor, and quirky characters. -- "Notable cast members include Anna Lambe, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Zorga Qaunaq, and Doreen Nutaaq Simmonds, all of whom have Inuit backgrounds. The show's co-creators, Stacey Aglok-MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, are also Inuit and are credited with bringing authenticity to the storytelling." -- Scroll down to find it on this (different) list of recommendations: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-tv-shows-of-2025-so-far-1235352755/adolescence-netflix-1235354325/
(And, if you haven't already watched Reservation Dogs on HULU, what are you waiting for? Another quirky show entwining humor with trauma, this one Emmy-nominted and telling the stories of members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in OK.)

Hope you'll come back and comment after you watch, or if you already have

Our list of the best TV series of 2025 so far, from 'Adolescence' and 'Andor' to 'The Pitt,' 'Severance,' and more.

08/06/2025

06/19/2025

The struggle for Black liberation in the United States did not end with the Emancipation Proclamation, and it hasn’t ended yet. On Juneteenth, we celebrate the resilience, leadership, and ongoing resistance of Black communities, whose work for freedom continues to shape this nation. As justice-seeking people of faith, we commit to following that lead by confronting the systems of white supremacy that persist in our churches, our politics, and our daily lives. ❤️🖤💚💛

06/17/2025

What does Juneteenth mean for Christians today?
It’s an opportunity to celebrate freedom, confront injustice, and align our hearts with God’s ongoing work of liberation.

Learn more at: https://www.r2hub.org/library/what-is-juneteenth

06/04/2025

The city of Woodbury, MN will again be hosting an educational Juneteenth Trail Walk behind City Hall. New this year, the trail walk will be duplicated and placed near Colby Lake Park as well as Ojibway Park to allow more people access to the information.
Check out the link for more information and the historical background of Juneteenth.
The walk will be up from June 2-22nd and is a great way for community members to learn more about the holiday and the history that led to June 19 being designated a state and federal holiday.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the confederacy. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, pr...

05/27/2025

Early Risers is a podcast from Little Moments Count and MPR with frank facts, engaging stories and real how-tos for anyone who cares about raising children with a clear-eyed understanding of cultural differences, race and implicit bias. Hosted by Dianne Haulcy of The Family Partnership.

George Floyd’s death was a tragedy and a wake up call — expanding a global conversation about race and racism. And young children have been watching it all. So how do we help them make sense of this? Early Risers is a podcast from Little Moments Count and MPR with frank facts, engaging stories a...

04/18/2025

Free showings April 23-27 in the Twin Cities!
https://mnchurches.org/better-together-film-festival

Register to attend a documentary that highlights what can happen we we try to get to know each other. All films playing free next week in Chatfield, Bloomington and Minneapolis.

"Now is a time for Americans to hear, see, and experience stories of people coming together across their differences to solve problems together in their neighborhoods and in their communities." Each film reminds us we can choose curiosity over contempt, dialogue over demonization, and empathy over apathy,

Sign up to attend a screening!