Hopkins Race & Equity Initiative

About the Hopkins Race & Equity Initiative

The Hopkins Race and Equity Initiative (HREI) is a collaborative effort creating opportunities to increase awareness and understanding of race, equity and diversity and promoting a sense of community that welcomes and values all residents. Partnering organizations include:

  • The City of Hopkins
  • The Gethsemane Lutheran Church
  • The Hopkins Public Schools
  • The Police Department

Read more about Race Equity in Hopkins.

Members:

  • Alex Fisher, Director of Community Education and Engagement Hopkins Public Schools 
  • Ari Lenz, Assistant City Manager - Hopkins 
  • Bill Wells, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Consultant
  • Brent Johnson, Police Chief
  • Donna Anderson, Gethsemane Church
  • Dre Jefferson, Hopkins Public Schools District Facilities Use Coordinator
  • Erik Husevold, Captain Hopkins Police
  • Pastor John Nelson, Gethsemane Church
  • Julia Ross, Joint Community Police Program Community Liaison - Hopkins Police
  • Kersten Elverum, Director of Economic Development and Planning - Hopkins
  • PeggySue Imihy, Management Analyst Hopkins
  • Pastor Sarah Moat, Gethsemane Church
  • Stanley Brown, Equity and Inclusion Director Hopkins Public Schools

Upcoming Events

Check back soon for information on future HREI events. 

Previous Event Recordings

Our videos can be found on our Facebook Page or Youtube Channel. 

Race & Education: Dynamics and Social Impact (PDF)

Tuesday, May 24 6:30 - 8 p.m. Eisenhower Community Theater

Join the Hopkins Race & Equity Initiative for a presentation from Keynote Speaker Sondra Samuels on the impact of racial disparities on education, followed by a question and answer session moderated by Diversity and Inclusion consultant Bill Wells. 

A Community Conversation on Race and Housing

The discussion covered topics including:

  • The POWER of the renter
  • Building a racially inclusive community
  • Working toward housing stability
  • The impacts of housing disparities on our community

Panelists included: 

  • Curt Boganey - Former Brooklyn Center City Manager
  • Nelima Sitati Munene - Executive Director, African Career Education and Resource Inc (ACER)
  • Derwin George, Realtor, Edina Realty

HREI Town Hall Forum: Community Policing Today

February 18, 2021
A virtual conversation on policing in our local communities, featuring a panelist discussion moderated by Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Bill Wells. Panelists included: 

  • Brent Johnson, Hopkins Police Chief
  • Mike Harcey, St. Louis Park Police Chief
  • Scott Boerboom, Minnetonka Police Chief

HREI Presents Jim Crow of the North

September 9, 2020
A special screening and discussion of the TPT documentary, "Jim Crow of the North," revealing the history and impact of racist real estate covenants in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The conversation also included discussion on the future and affordable housing. Panel discussion moderated by Bill Wells featuring: 

  • Dan Bergin, Producer, Jim Crow of the North;
  • Dr. Kirsten Delegard, Project Director, Mapping Prejudice Project;
  • Kersten Elverum, Director of Planning & Economic Development City of Hopkins

Racial Disparities: [Not] In my Neighborhood?! 

June 29, 2020
Join the Hopkins Race and Equity Initiative for a virtual conversation on racial dispartities in West Metro neighborhoods, featuring a panelist discussion moderated by Bill Wells. Panelists include: 

  • Al Nuness, Para Professional and Director, Invictus Leadership Group
  • Bishop David E. Johnson, Senior Pastor, Grace Apostolic Church
  • Kissy Coakley, City Council Member, City of Minnetonka
  • Dr. Kirsten Delegard, Director/Co-Founder, Mapping Prejudice Project
  • Julia Ross, Joint Community Police Partnership, Hopkins Police Department
  • Astein K. Osei, Superintendent, St. Louis Park Public Schools

Give the Gift of a Better Community

For the past five years, various leaders from the Hopkins city, school and faith community have volunteered their time to bring to life the Hopkins Race and Equity Initiative. They have taken on the challenging and delicate work of bringing our community together to learn and listen so that we can have honest and caring conversations around the issues of race and equity.

Hundreds of people have come together to learn why it is so hard to talk about race. To hear perspectives on white privilege, racial profiling, and the racism many people still face today.  

We are inviting you to join with us in supporting the work of building a better community, bringing more people together, and moving the needle to eradicate systemic racism in our institutions, our schools, our city and our community. This happens one conversation at a time.

All donations are managed by the City of Hopkins and are tax exempt. We greatly appreciate you partnership and your support.

To donate, please fill out the Hopkins Race & Equity Initiative Donation Form.


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Grants Awarded

The Hopkins Race and Equity Initiative recently awarded seven micro grants to fund programs designed to engage Hopkins students and community members in projects and activities that align with the initiative’s purpose and goals.

 More information about the awards is available here.

HREI Logo

Resources

  1. Culturally Responsive Books for Children and Elementatry Through Middle School (PDF)
  2. Hopkins Minnetonka Community Assessment (PDF)
  3. Resources on Race and Racism for Parents and Children (PDF)
  4. Talking About Race (PDF)
  5. Three Things You Can Do to Learn About White Privilege (PDF)

Past Events

  1. Let's Talk About Race Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed's Presentation 2018 (PDF)
  2. Lets Talk About Race Event Take Away Points (PDF)
  3. Lets Talk About Race in Hopkins Community Conversation Executive Summary (PDF)
  4. October 2016 Hopkins Community Forum - Is white Privilege Real or Imagine (PDF)