Conversations about race, culture and more taking place in agencies

The meetings first began as grieving sessions following the killing of George Floyd and evolved into the popular biweekly Conversations about Race, Ethnicity, Culture and More meetings. Local 1002 President Maurice Wilson began what he called the “grieving and coping” sessions for the Black community within state government.

“I recruited some facilitators and wanted to learn about everyone else’s experiences – we were a group of people learning together. No one has all of the answers,” Wilson said. “The Black community doesn’t have a space to talk in the workplace, and the pandemic has given us that opportunity.”

Wilson also chairs the Equity and Justice Black Caucus, a statewide Employee Resource Group.

Wilson opened up the “Race and More” conversations to employees at the Minnesota Department of Education, where he is an education specialist, and other agencies last fall. Between 40 and 70 employees participate in the biweekly meetings where race, ethnicity, culture, history, systemic racism and other topics are discussed.

Wilson begins each conversation with a video and afterward opens up the discussion where he tries “to talk as little as possible because I want everyone else to talk. We’re giving people a safe place to talk – and people are opening up.”

Local 401’s Julie Rapacki, a management analyst with the Department of Revenue, is familiar with many of the issues discussed through her volunteer work within her division to look at how the agency can improve its equity and anti-racism policies.

“Maurice is doing a really good job. I think he is very thoughtful and advanced about what he wants to share with us. He starts with a video. We laugh or we learn something, or we cry, this gets us comfortable with each other and we know we’re all coming from the same page and we can share,” Rapacki said.

One conversation focused on several studies that showed job applicants with ethnic-sounding names received fewer job opportunities. “That is not equality," Wilson said.

“I am surprised how many people don’t understand racial bias, but they’re coming to these sessions.”

Wilson, who grew up in St. Paul, recalled that he mentioned there were few parks in his neighborhood and even fewer basketball courts. “There wasn’t much to do and without sports, kids could get into trouble. The basketball courts had the 1950s style triangle backboards like in the movie ‘Hoosiers,’” Wilson said. Wilson and his friends would travel to Woodbury to play basketball where the new hoops were attached to plexiglass backboards.   

“We were asking for the same resources. The same books, the same desks and chairs, the same experienced teachers. We wanted to be treated the same,” Wilson said.

Wilson recalled a participant telling him that he had played sports with people of color for years but had never talked about race with them. He told me, “I never heard any of these stories. I’m going to call all of my friends now and ask them how they handled all of this stuff.”

“That impressed me,” Wilson added.

Before Thanksgiving Wilson held a Conversation About Race regarding  Indigenous people and said he “learned a lot from them.” The discussion centered on the aftermath of the U.S.-Dakota  War of 1862 where the federal government hanged 38 members of the Dakota tribe in Mankato, Minnesota. It was the largest mass execution in United State history.

“The videos I presented featured information about the Mankato massacre and different viewpoints about whether President Lincoln ‘saved everyone’ or ‘allowed Native Americans to be murdered,’” Wilson said.

“You have to learn from both sides. It doesn’t matter what you believe in, you have to learn from everything,” he added.

Local 1001’s Galen Sjostrom, a program specialist with the Department of Transportation, has participated in every conversation since July. “These work at home conversations have been a great way to get involved. To get a chance to sit and listen to others’ perspectives was crucial and energizing,” Sjostrom said.

“It’s incredible how well Maurice and others have shaped the meetings for us to come together and learn as a group, share personal stories and look at resources to expand our cultural sensitivity and empathy. Even if someone doesn’t say a word, they’ve learned something,” Sjostrom added.

Wilson said he realizes “It’s ok for people to be afraid to speak. Black people are feeling like they’re getting a voice – they’re all coming up to say, ‘thank you,’ and now they’re willing to talk.”

During a recent conversation, some members mentioned that MAPE’s recent  Negotiations Survey had several questions on racial equity issues. “Racial equity issues are starting to be a core of the union’s advocacy work and the initiatives must show action and not just planning,” Sjostrom added.

Wilson agreed that MAPE needs to take diversity and equity issues more seriously, “Diversity needs to be in the contract. We need to define diversity – once we define it we can make things happen. We need to define it and be bold about it. It’s OK to be direct,” Wilson said.

If you would like to participate in a future Conversation about Race, Ethnicity, Culture and More, please contact Maurice Wilson at Maurice.wilson@state.mn.us.