Twin Cities Pride

While Pride Month didn’t receive its official presidential proclamation until 1999, protests for gay liberation started gaining traction in the 1970s. Minneapolis held its first 50-person march in 1972 to commemorate the third anniversary of the Stonewall riots. 25 people marched up Nicollet Avenue, while the other 25 remained behind in Loring Park in case the protestors needed to be bailed out. Fortunately, no arrests were made.

Since its first march, Twin Cities Pride has grown exponentially to include all members from the LGBTQIA+ community. This year’s 54th Pride Festival features over 600 unique vendors, including community resources, artists, and businesses. We encourage you to check out the resources below and to attend some of the upcoming events:

• Learn more about the history of Alternative Pride in the Twin Cities.
• Explore the LGBTQIA+ community resources.
• Check out the upcoming Twin Cities Pride event schedule.
• Attend the Twin Cities Pride Festival and Pride Parade.

2026 Special Olympics Games - Minnesota

The Twin Cities metro area is hosting the 2026 Special Olympics USA games June 20-26, 2026. Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special Olympics in the 1960s with the goal of changing societal attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities and empowering individuals with disabilities through the "power of unification through sport." Today, the event celebrates over 3,000 athletes from all 50 states.

The work to build a better and more equitable tomorrow for all individuals can’t be isolated to the Special Olympics. Individuals with intellectual disabilities have on average shorter life expectancies due to undiagnosed, untreated, and often preventable conditions, and are also underemployed. You can help your community by doing the following:

• Volunteer for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
• Learn more about the Team MN Special Olympics athletes and coaches.
• Check out the resources on the Disability Resource Center (DCR) website.

Making outdoor recreation accessible for all

Spring has arrived, and many of us are excited to participate in outdoor activities, like visiting parks and hiking on Minnesota’s extensive trail system. However, only about 30% of Minneapolis Park properties meet basic federal accessibility standards for disabled people, and the degree of accessibility varies from park to park across the state.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) “Accessible Outdoors” effort is actively addressing these challenges with initiatives such as providing trail chairs and renovating parks. Still, more solutions are needed to improve accessibility for everyone. You can help these efforts by doing the following:

• Advocate for accessible infrastructure, such as ramps, wider paths, benches, accessible restrooms, picnic areas with level ground, and clear signage that includes sensory information.
• Participate in inclusive activities, like adaptive gardening or guided hikes.
• Practice thoughtful inclusion by asking individuals with disabilities what they need for a comfortable experience.
• Consider volunteering with local adaptive sports or outdoor recreation groups, such as St. Paul’s Adaptive Recreation or Northland Adaptive Recreation.

Earth Day and environmental equity

Celebrated on April 22, Earth Day raises awareness for environmental issues and brings communities together to spend time outdoors, enjoy nature, and clean up litter. When recognizing Earth Day, we can also reflect on environmental equity. Clean air, water, and land should be an equitable resource to all. However, communities of color, Indigenous people, and low income communities experience disproportionate impacts of pollution and climate change.

In Minnesota, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has found that while air pollution risks exceed health guidelines in 36% of the state's communities, this burden falls disproportionately on marginalized groups, rising to 53% in low income communities and 78% in communities of color.

Check out the following resources and activities to learn more about addressing environmental equity:

• Read this article on How to Address Environmental Justice Issues in Your Community.
• Utilize this Map of Environmental Justice areas to identify areas to support meaningful engagement for groups affected by pollution in Minnesota.
• Find an Earth Day Cleanup location near you to engage with the community and clean up litter in our parks.

World Autism Awareness Day

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated each year on April 2. The day brings awareness and further efforts towards equity and human rights for autistic individuals in society. This year's theme is “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value,” which focuses on the value of neurodiversity in strengthening community.

You can support your coworkers with autism by being inclusive in workplace environments and being considerate of accommodations, such as being respectful of workplace noise levels, offering in person and remote meeting options, and using plain language. Overall, it is important to remember to practice mindfulness to maintain an inclusive workplace.

Additional Resources

• Check out the UN’s Autism Awareness Youtube Channel
• Explore the Autism Society of Minnesota website for events and resources
• Spread the word about the Walker Art’ Centers’ Sensory Friendly Sunday

Thank you - Ellie Scott

The ASR Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) committee would like to thank Ellie Scott for her work on the ASR DEI committee. Ellie eagerly joined the committee last summer and has been a key contributor to keeping the committee going. Her thoughtful and hard work has been greatly appreciated. We are sad to see her go but happy for her as she starts new endeavors in the Office of Information Technology (she is not too far away)!

Fighting systemic and personal ableism in our work

Signed into law on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and ensures equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

While the ADA has led to opportunity and access, it cannot remove the long-standing discrimination, systemic ableism, and social prejudice against people with disabilities and the ableism ingrained in our culture. We can continue to challenge our biases and reduce barriers for students, faculty, and staff in our work by:

• Providing both physical and digital accommodations.
• Improving accessibility in our digital content.
• Ensuring DEI is a part of the hiring process.
• Creating accessible and inclusive meetings.
• Participating in disability-related education and training and the Digital Accessibility Badging Program.
• Engaging with accessibility experts in our community.

AIDS Memorial Quilt

During the 1980s and 90s, HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacted the lives of the LGBTQ community. Most people who died due to AIDS did not receive a funeral. In response, activist Cleve Jones started the NAMES Project Memorial Quilt and asked people to write the names of lost loved ones on signs. The signs were then taped to the San Francisco Federal Building. Inspired by the image—which looked like a quilt—Jones and his friends began plans for a larger memorial.

They started creating large quilt panels to honor and celebrate the lives of people lost to the AIDS pandemic. In 1987, the quilt was displayed for the first time on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Volunteers around the world began contributing their own panels to the quilt. Today, it is considered one of the largest community art projects with 50,000 panels dedicated to more than 110,000 individuals. We encourage you to explore the online interactive version of the quilt, so you can experience the love and stories stitched into each panel.

Take a virtual vacation

Are you feeling the winter blues, but can’t get away for a vacation? If so, a virtual vacation might be the perfect solution. Virtual vacations make tourism accessible to all, regardless of disability, age, or financial status. You can use the power of technology to experience challenging-to-reach terrain, explore heritage sites without navigating steep steps, walk through historic buildings without limitations, and preview destinations before booking—all from the comfort of your own home.

Popular virtual travel experiences:

• Virtual museum tours—Explore museums around the world, like the Vatican or the Louvre.
• Virtual city tours—Walk through the streets of iconic cities such as Tokyo, Rome, or Seoul.
• Virtual nature walks—Experience virtual tours of national parks, gardens, and natural wonders, such as the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone.

Community outreach opportunities

It’s difficult to go about our daily work when our community is grieving. But grief, anger, fear—whatever emotion you're experiencing right now—is great motivation to help others. No action is too small. If everyone does something, it can have a major impact. We recommend checking out the following local mutual aid networks and organizations and sharing them with others:

• Donate to the MN Community Aid Network. This mutual aid organization serves 200-300 families weekly through food pantries, grocery deliveries, baby supplies, and more.
• Feed families through Dios Habla Hoy Ministries. This South Minneapolis church provides crucial food delivery services throughout Minneapolis. Donate through the Community Food Drive donation page, and help the church continue their efforts.
• Help families pay their rent. Immigration Response Network, a coalition of trusted, local funders in Minnesota, is raising funds to help families meet basic needs, such as rental assistance, food, and health care.
• Shop for Twin Cities Pride. Twin Cities Pride is an organization dedicated to amplifying LGBTQ+ voices across Minneapolis. They also provide community aid through food and supply support. Purchase items from the Twin Cities Pride Community Aid Amazon wishlist, and your donation will support direct outreach.

100 Years of Black History Month

Black History Month started in 1915 after historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History to research and celebrate the achievements of Black Americans. Black History Month was first officially recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976 when he called upon Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

This year’s Black History Month theme, A Century of Black History Commemorations, urges us to honor the resilience, creativity, history, and achievements of African Americans, and the importance of not only telling an inclusive history, but an accurate one.

Celebrate Black History Month in Minneapolis:

• Visit the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and the Somali Museum.
• Support Black-owned restaurants, from soul food favorites to cafes, and shop from local Black-owned boutiques and stores.
• Attend community events, such as The Black Market, All Sweet Things: A Celebration of Black Love, and Sounds of Blackness’: “Music for Marten.”

National Poverty Awareness Month

Welcome to the new year! January is National Poverty Awareness Month, which raises awareness about the systemic barriers that lead to economic hardship. January 15 also marks the birthdate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose activism included economic justice through the Poor People’s Campaign.

In our work, we can directly see how economic insecurity can impact a student’s academic goals and access. Roughly 48% of undergraduate students worry about the ability to pay for housing, and 35% of undergraduate students worry about paying for food, according to SERU data. We must stay vigilant to support an environment and culture that prioritizes empathy and awareness.

Resources

• Boynton Health Nutrition U Food Pantry—Helps address food insecurity on campus by providing fresh, free, and culturally-connected food to everyone.
• Financial Counseling and Resources for University Employees—Provides free financial counseling for employees.
• One Stop Student Emergency Funds and Resources—Offers community and campus resources for students, including emergency funds.
• Valley Outreach—Helps families meet their basic needs and address the inequities that contribute to poverty.

Creating Accessible Google Documents

As ASR prepares for compliance changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Regulations, it is important for us all to understand the importance of accessible electronic documents. A great place to start is understanding how to create accessible Google Documents and how to verify if those documents are accessible. Making a document accessible doesn’t just help those who use assistive technology, but also makes documents more usable for everyone.

Resources for making accessible Google Documents

• Watch the Accessibility Ambassadors workshop about creating accessible Google Documents. The following core skills are highlighted:
• Using headings
• Reducing and simplifying tables in word documents
• Ensuring the document is high-contrast (e.g. black text on a white background)
• Download and familiarize yourself with GrackleDocs. This is an approved browser extension for checking the accessibility of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• Explore the Digital Accessibility: Create Accessible Documents online training. This course is part of the digital accessibility badging program.

Twin Cities minority-owned theater productions

From the dazzling lights of Broadway to captivating concerts, the Twin Cities offers a vibrant theater scene, including many minority-owned theaters, such as Theater Mu, Pillsbury House + Theater, and zAmya Theater, and diverse productions. As the holiday season approaches and the weather grows colder, now is the perfect time to support the arts and go see a show or participate in an event!

• Mixed Blood, Minnesota’s first multi-racial theater company, offers four shows running concurrently, including “The Jungle,” which explores the dangers of crossing borders, and Equitable Dinners, where the company picks a topic like affordable housing and performs in people’s homes.
• Penumbra Theater has a monthly Banned Book Club, a cross-racial Coalition panel discussion scheduled for November 24, and Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativity” will be playing in December.
• New Native Theater is performing “A Christmas in Ochopee” in December, a comedy about Christmas in the Everglades.
• The State Theater is running the world premiere stage adaptation of Prince’s “Purple Rain” through November 23.

Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)

Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is a traditional Mexican and Latinx holiday honoring the deceased. It is a rare holiday where mourning is exchanged for celebration. Celebrated on November 1 and 2, families build altars, decorate gravesites, enjoy food, dance to music, and create ofrendas (offerings) for deceased family members. Altars are typically decorated with yellow marigold flowers and photos, while calaveras (sugar skulls) are an iconic decoration of the holiday itself.

Events and resources

• Visit the Día de Muertos Community Ofrenda on campus at the Weisman Museum between October 29 - November 9.
• Check out upcoming events celebrating Día de los Muertos around Minneapolis.
• Learn more about the holiday on The Day of the Dead website.

ASR DEI Coffee Hour

Please join us for our next ASR DEI Coffee Hour on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 11 a.m. via Zoom, where we’ll be setting aside some time to discuss accessibility, digital accessibility, and ableism. The invite is already added to your calendar. We will also save space for an open ended conversation about any topics you would like to discuss. Whether you have questions, need to recharge, or are just looking for community, we invite you to join us!

International Pronouns Day

International Pronouns Day is celebrated on October 15. Though the official day has passed, it is important to observe pronouns awareness year-round. Using correct pronouns is a cornerstone of affirming human dignity and fostering a culture of support and respect in the workplace. Misgendering impacts everyone, particularly transgender and gender non-conforming colleagues, including members of the Two-Spirit community. These observances are a reminder of our collective responsibility to make a daily effort to be respectful, inclusionary, and support all of our communities while cultivating a healthy workplace culture.  

Resources

• Learn how to set your pronouns and gender identity in MyU.
• Take the free online course: Inclusive Practices for Names and Pronouns.
• Check out the resources from Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life.
• Partake in the LGBTQIA faculty and staff group: Pride @ Work.

Fun fall DEI activities

Fall is finally here. While this is the season of apple picking and pumpkin patches, there are other exciting fall events you can add to your calendar. Ready to diversify your fall outings? Here are a few unique ideas to consider:

• Get your steins and lederhosen ready and attend the 15th Annual Twin Cities Oktoberfest at the Historic Progress Center on the fairgrounds (October 3-4).
• Attend the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival at the China Friendship Garden in Phalen Regional Park (October 3).
• Mark your calendars for the 13th Annual Cine Latino FILM Festival at The Main Cinema (October 8-12).
• Zoom into the Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing and Countering Racism in Our Own Backyard online community conference (October 10).
• Explore 28 art galleries during the Fall 2025 St Paul Art Crawl (October 10-12).
• Go to Saturday Drag Bingo at LUSH Lounge & Theater. All proceeds benefit the Aliveness Project (weekly until December 27).

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Mid-September marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Beginning as Hispanic Heritage Week, President Lyndon Johnson started the observation in 1968, and in 1988 it was expanded to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15, the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries, and ending on October 15.

There are several celebrations and events taking place across the University of Minnesota and Twin Cities communities over the month. Please check them out!

University of Minnesota events

• September 9 - December 9: Vaivén: 21st-Century Art of Puerto Rico and Its Diaspora
• September 24: 5th Annual Ramona Arreguín de Rosales Lecture: Somewhere We Are Human

Twin Cities events

• September 20-21: Viva La Vida: Taco & Tequila Festival
• October 8-12: Cine Latino Film Festival
• October 17: Gala Latina

Thank you - Stacia Madsen

The ASR Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) committee would like to thank Stacia Madsen for her work on the ASR DEI committee. After 5 (YES, 5!) years, Stacia is making a well deserved and graceful exit from the committee. Stacia has been a driving force for so much of the committee’s work in recent years and her work will leave a lasting impact on the committee and on the wellbeing of staff in ASR. Stacia is still working in ASR, so she shouldn’t be surprised if we ask her for her input from time to time! 🙂

BIPOC business owners at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair is a great opportunity for fairgoers to explore new foods. It’s also a way for small business owners—including BIPOC business owners—to showcase their existing business or kickstart a new business. Here are some examples from this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together!

• New this year
• One new booth that arrived at the 2025 State Fair was from Lumpia City. Lumpia, Filipino fried spring rolls, come in both sweet and savory varieties. The sweet variety, a banana French toast lumpia, created a lot of buzz amongst fairgoers.
• Another new vendor in 2025 was Midtown Global Market’s Oasis Grill & Hoyo Sambusa. Offerings included street fries, sambusas (both mini and full-size), and slushies. The Midtown Global Market is a great way to check out more food, events, and global goods all year round!
• An old favorite
• Union Hmong Kitchen is an old favorite of the DEI committee. Their offerings this year included Galabao with Kua Txob, Shrimp & Pork Toast On-A-Stick, as well as a coconut lychee cocktail.