What is American art? And, who is considered an American Artist? Just a few of the questions we had as we welcome Dr. Kate Beane who will be taking up the position of Executive Director at the Minnesota Museum of American Art.

On our latest Grab Bag show, we cover topics from school walkouts, representation both in front and behind the camera on TV to current trials of so-called vigilantes and upcoming trials of police-involved shootings.

Minnesota is known for it’s nice-ness, but a recent survey showed that’s not true. The number of people who report experiencing discrimination in Minnesota is the areas of policing, employment and housing. Our guest this week, Craig Helmstetter (our first white guest!) joins us to go over the results of the survey.

Minnesota recently committed to $1.3 million over two years for Indigenous education. Students will be able to learn a more accurate history of the Indigenous peoples in Minnesota schools. Minnesota Lieutenant Governor and White Earth Band of Ojibwe member Peggy Flanagan joins the Counter Stories crew to talk about this historic move.

A family-owned Minnesota business publicly apologized for appropriating Indigenous artwork. Taking their apology seriously, Minnetonka Moccasins brought on reconciliation advisor Adrienne Benjamin to help make meaningful changes. Adrienne joins the Counter Stories crew to talk about her new role.

With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Counter Stories crew is joined by another survivor-advocate to shed light on the need for culturally specific services.

When there are too many topics to hit, you get a Grab Bag Show! With so much happening, we couldn’t decide on a single topic. So, with a time limit in place, we’ll pick through our grab bag of current events and get through as many as we can. This week we touch on the resignation of Proctor, MN coach Derek Parendo, the leaked emails from NFL coach John Gruden, continued police brutality as witnessed in Indiana, and Dia De Los Muertos.

Sexual assault survivors Sarah Super and Asma Mohammad came together and worked for four years to eliminate the statute of limitations on reporting sexual violence. They join the Counter Stories crew to talk about their journey as survivors and advocates.

Why is it when a white girl goes missing, every news media outlet is covering it constantly; but when someone from BIPOC communities goes missing, there is little to no coverage? Our guests talk about how this erasure is nothing new and often times prompts trauma in BIPOC communities. Guests: Korina Barry, Marisa Cummings

Minnesota is known for its abundance of natural outdoor spaces, but not everyone feels safe, knowledgeable or comfortable utilizing these spaces. Camping and fishing are among the most popular outdoor activities of the crew and our special guest, Asha Shoffner, who organizes and leads outings by and for the BIPOC community.