With the arrival of their mobile recording studio in Powderhorn Park, the City of Minneapolis is excited to begin the next stage of its partnership with StoryCorps Studios. Announced in March, the partnership between the City and StoryCorps Studios aims to move Minneapolis toward a future grounded in racial equity and justice by harnessing the power of conversations to heal racial divisions.
How it works
The community archive will include stories about the history of racial discrimination and injustice in Minneapolis, George Floyd’s murder, the civil unrest that followed, and the ongoing efforts to reform the Minneapolis Police Department. By capturing these voices, the City of Minneapolis aims to provide healing and empowerment while informing its racial equity work. Examples of questions participants may be asked to answer or discuss include:
- What makes Minneapolis special to you?
- Tell me about a time when you felt a sense of belonging in Minneapolis.
- How did you hear about the murder of George Floyd? What was going through your mind at that time?
- How did the murder of George Floyd and the civil unrest that followed change Minneapolis, if at all?
In-Person
The StoryCorps Studios mobile booth will be in Minneapolis May 13-22. If you are interested in an in-person interview, please fill out the request form on the City’s website. Spaces are limited.
At home
StoryCorps Studio’s virtual recording booth allows people to record and share their perspectives from the comfort and privacy of their home. StoryCorps walks users through the four step process:
- Decide if you and your partner want to record in the same room or record from different locations.
- When you’re ready to record, create a free StoryCorps online account, then you’ll enter the StoryCorps Virtual Recording Booth.
- Hit “Start Recording Audio,“ follow the prompts to introduce yourself, and dig into your conversation!
- When you’ve finished, you’ll be prompted to save your recording as part of the City of Minneapolis in the StoryCorps Archive.
Due to demand, the deadline for virtual submissions has been extended to June 30.
Community members will be able to record their perspectives in their own words and share them as part of this special partnership. Following the collection of interviews, the City of Minneapolis will host a community listening session with residents and community leaders to hear selected recordings. Everyone who participates in a StoryCorps interview can access a recording of their story and with permission, their interview is preserved in the national StoryCorps archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. It’s easy to participate.
The City of Minneapolis is committed to developing policies, practices and strategic investments to reverse racial disparity trends, eliminate institutional racism and ensure that outcomes and opportunities for all people are no longer based on race.
You can find more and upload your story at www.minneapolismn.gov/your-story.
About StoryCorps
Founded in 2003, StoryCorps is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all, one story at a time. Over 700,000 people, in all 50 states, have recorded interviews about their lives through StoryCorps. The award-winning organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, and shares select stories with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, radio broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books.