Pause, breathe, and lean into some hopeful lessons: Join Convergence Magazine and The Forge for a conversation with movement organizers and elected leaders from the Minnesota Values Project (MVP). When Minnesota’s historic legislative session wrapped up in May, reporters around the country were stunned by the number of progressive victories: paid family leave, expanded voting rights, greater healthcare access, criminal justice reforms, and more. Was this a “Minnesota Miracle?” The panelists demystify these victories, walking us through their decade-long efforts to build governing power by developing relationships of trust and accountability, strengthening infrastructure, supporting grassroots organizing, and aligning around a shared agenda.
Tune in to hear from:
- Representative Liz Olson, Minnesota House of Representatives, District 08A, co-founder, MVP
- Liz Xiong, Communications Director and Political Coordinator for Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Minnesota
- Minister JaNaé Bates, Communications Director for Faith in Minnesota
- Senator Erin Murphy, Minnesota Senate, District 64, current chair, MVP
The conversation is moderated by Deepak Pateriya, a long-time community and labor organizer and contributor to both Convergence Magazine and The Forge.
Guests
Minister JaNaé Bates is the communications director for Faith in Minnesota and ISAIAH – multi-racial, multi-faith, state-wide vehicles for people and communities of faith, Black-owned barbershops and childcare centers. These organizations are dedicated to building a multi-racial democracy by moving collectively and powerfully for racial and economic equity in the state of Minnesota. JaNaé specializes in integrating grassroots community organizing and narrative strategy. She has been instrumental in the implementation of the “Race Class Gender Narrative” framework in both Minnesota and across the US. JaNaé is a womanist theologian and Fulbright scholar. She has nearly two decades of academic and professional experience in ministry, social justice, and communications.
Erin Murphy is a registered nurse and a member of the Minnesota State Senate, representing Saint Paul’s District 64. In 2022, she served as the DFL Senate Campaign Chair, and, with an incredible campaign team, led the caucus effort to successfully flip the state Senate that unlocked a trifecta. She is the Senate co-chair of the Minnesota Values Project and believes deeply in the power of organizing and what we can accomplish for our bright future, together.
Liz Xiong is the Communications Director and Political Coordinator for LIUNA (Laborers’ International Union of North America) Minnesota and North Dakota. As Communications Director, Liz focuses on strong living wages and safe working conditions for construction workers and public employees through legal, legislative, and direct action. Liz has been a public-affairs professional for over 10 years, leading progressive non-profits, labor organizations, and government entities in telling their stories; she has also served two mayoral administrations in St. Paul. Liz honed her communications skills while building campaigns and celebrations across the Hmong Minnesotan community. She sits on the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s executive board, representing minority union members, and is also the board chair of Visit Saint Paul, the city’s tourism bureau. Now a resident of the East Side of Saint Paul, Liz holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and is the mother of two daughters.
Liz Olson represents District 08A in the Minnesota House of Representatives. During her time as House Majority Whip, Liz led a coalition to develop a shared policy agenda that reflected Minnesotans’ values and laid the groundwork for sweeping progressive policy wins in 2023. Liz championed groundbreaking legislation combating the opioid crisis and was the legislative lead on passing Earned Sick and Safe Time into law. She currently serves as the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. She holds a Master’s Degree from Luther Seminary and resides with her family in West Duluth.