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How Do We 'Lead with Love' in the Face of Structural Racism?

TPT producers discuss the impact of crafting the series 'Jim Crow of the North Stories.'

May 30, 2023

Jim Crow of the North Stories Poster

By Jess Bellville

Meet TPT Producers Kevin Dragseth and Miranda Harincar, who played important roles in bringing to life our new digital series Jim Crow of the North Stories. 
We often hear from viewers who are deeply interested in behind-the-scenes access to the making of TPT productions. In that spirit, we sat down with Dragseth and Harincar to dive a little deeper into their experiences crafting the series.

Tell us just a little bit about you and your role at TPT.

Miranda Harincar: I am an Associate Producer and have been at TPT for a little over two years.

Kevin Dragseth: I became a producer at TPT in 2015, so it’s been eight years! I recently was named to our new history department, telling important stories from Minnesota’s rich and complex past. I’m a huge history nerd and I genuinely love telling challenging stories about racism.

Why is it important to be telling these stories right now in 2023? What would you say to someone who believes that these issues are problems of the past, not something to be worried about in the present?

Harincar: There has been a lot of research showing the generational impacts of the racist policies throughout our history. But also, as you can see in these episodes, this history is not as far gone as we like to believe. For one example, we get to hear the Moores’ real experience with racial covenants in their neighborhood and all the effects that had on their family, and they are still living in that home today.

Dragseth: It’s long overdue that stories like this are being told widely and openly. This history of intentional racist housing policy completely transformed the lives of generations of Minnesotans of color: their health, their wealth, their education, their opportunities. We owe it to ourselves and our descendants to know why things are the way they are, that it was not just some accident of history, and that new and more equitable chapters can be written for the future.

What was something you learned that will stick with you from your work on this project?

Harincar: I got to see what grassroots organizing really looks like. How, in the face of these huge systemic issues, individuals can use their unique strengths to chip away at that legacy of racism.

Dragseth: It’s hard to forget seeing the city council minutes from Golden Valley where they voted on and approved racial covenant requirements in housing policy. Names of real citizens, whose families may still live in the area and who were seen as thoughtful civic leaders by their neighbors. I’m sure they thought they were doing what was best for their city, but it’s hard not to judge them for the long-term, persistent inequity their actions created, which deeply affected real people.

After having worked on Jim Crow of the North Stories, do you feel there is meaningful change happening?

Harincar: Yes! It was so inspiring to see all this work being done. I think the mentality of “there is still a long way to go” is important because we shouldn’t just look at this work and think the problem is solved. But it is also important to not feel disheartened by the scale of the problem we are fighting against because we are making progress and we should celebrate those steps along the way.

Dragseth: I do. Part of what was so satisfying in revisiting the issue several years after the documentary [Jim Crow of the North] came out was telling the story of communities and individuals taking action. Following the inspiring work of Just Deeds and Free the Deeds, there’s hope. When the Ramsey County covenant map was unveiled in June of 2022, I witnessed important and earnest conversations happening in my own neighborhood, with homeowners pledging to do the work of discharging the racist language in their deeds. It doesn’t undo the decades of damage, but it shows me that lots of white folks are ready to start dealing with structural racism.

After going through this process, how do you think others can start a conversation about a history of housing segregation?

Harincar: I think it’s important to lean into the uncomfortable parts of this conversation. If you have a racial covenant on your home, how does that make you feel about its history? What can you do with that information? If you don’t have one personally, what does this story say about your neighborhood, city, or state? It’s important not to shy away from the difficulty of this conversation.

Dragseth: I was very impressed by how Free the Deeds has framed reparations not as solely a one-time payment performed at the federal level, but as a practice we can do daily in smaller ways as well. The idea of doing “reparations work” is very appealing and feels manageable. Repairs can come in many forms and take time and intention and relationships. I hope people feel like this series has equipped them to engage in conversations about structural racism by understanding how we got to where we are and what it takes to start changing things. Show folks the Mapping Prejudice map, invite them to discover this history for themselves, participate in your city’s efforts with Just Deeds, and lead with love.

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2023. All rights reserved.

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