Tag Archives: Minnesota State Fair

August 29, 2015 · 8:25 pm

Black Lives Matter goes to the Minnesota State Fair

ListenFor all my friends who want to know what it was like, and why it was important …

The day started like a picnic at Hamline Park, with people saying hello to old friends, kids running around, and people painting last-minute protest signs. Okay, maybe family picnics don’t usually have protest signs, but the family feeling was definitely there. Old people, young people, black people, white people, Asian and Native American people, queer people, straight people, trans people, lots of Unitarians and seminarians in clerical collars, babies in strollers and people in wheelchairs. Continue reading →

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August 27, 2015 · 7:17 pm

#BlackFair and the Minnesota State Fair

As usual, many of this year's crop art entries reflect political issues.

As usual, many of this year’s crop art entries reflect political issues.

I love the Minnesota State Fair. But dang it all — Black Lives Matter is right about structural/institutional racism at the Fair and in the state. So I went to the fair today, and I also plan to go to the #BlackFair march on Saturday. I agree with Julie Blaha, who wrote in a letter to the editor to the Strib:

“I love the State Fair with a passion that borders on obsession … [but] I have no problem with disruption for a good cause.

“If I’m willing to wait half an hour for deep-fried pickles, I can spend a little time on something as important as ending racism. Fairgoers, the least we can do for our neighbors suffering injustice is to put down the mini doughnuts for a bit and listen.”

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