Community engagement process

Read about the community engagement process for the Minneapolis African American Historic and Cultural Context study.

Overview

We describe the process of the Minneapolis African American Historic and Cultural Context study, including the:

Photo: 1980s image of the groundbreaking event for The Way Community Center. Located at 1913 Plymouth Ave. N., The Way was an important African American community gathering space in North Minneapolis. Credit: Hennepin County Library

The Way Center groundbreaking ceremony

Background

We hired a consultant team to do community outreach to gather feedback:

  • Lange Johnson Development
  • Equity Strategies, LLC
  • 106 Group 

Lange Johnson Development has worked with many underrepresented communities in the Twin Cities. They have led many conversations and encourage collaboration among stakeholders. 

The engagement project:

  • Focused on the needs and wants of the Black community
  • Sought feedback about:
    • Important places and events
    • Neighborhoods of interest
    • People who shaped the history of Minneapolis
  • Welcomed knowledge and expertise of all community members.
  • Built on past efforts of community members to document African American heritage.

Watch videos of the engagement events

Funding

  • The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF) grant funded this project. The AACHAF grant is from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
  • The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation also supported the project.

Goals and timeline

This project is the first step toward creating a comprehensive Historic and Cultural Context Study. The study will guide future actions related to historic resources.

Potential future actions

  • Landmark and historic district designations
  • Historic interpretation efforts
  • Plaques
  • Monuments
  • Online resources
  • Guided tours  
  • The development of future heritage preservation tools 

Timeline

  • Community engagement meetings (October to November 2021)
    See videos of meetings
  • Draft report completed (February 2022)
  • Final report approved (October 2022)
  • Continued outreach and report publication (January 2023 to present)

View the African American Community Engagement final report

Outcomes

This project represents a new approach to heritage preservation in Minneapolis.

The final report includes:

  • A summary of community engagement activities and presentation materials
  • A draft outline for a historic context about African Americans in Minneapolis
  • An initial list and map of places in the city that may be significant to the African American community.

We need to do more research and engagement before we can formally recognize places. The City has not initiated the local designation process for any property as a result of this project.

Next steps

  • We received two grants to fund the next phase. We plan to hire a consultant to write the historic and cultural context study.
  • We continue to engage with project stakeholders and interested community members.

Contact us

Erin Que

Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED)

Phone

612-673-3990

Address

Public Service Building
505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 320
Minneapolis, MN 55415