St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation honors four Minnesotans for anti-racism efforts

The winners will be honored Sept. 26 and each will receive a $7,500 grant to give to a nonprofit of their choice.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
August 21, 2024 at 11:36PM
The St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation announced its 2024 recipients of its annual Facing Race Awards. They are, clockwise from top left, Ma Elena Gutierrez, Tish Jones, Larry Tucker and Jametta Raspberry. (Provided)

The St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation on Wednesday named four Minnesotans who won its annual anti-racism awards.

This is the 18th year the foundation has given out its Facing Race Awards to Minnesotans who help foster “a state where all communities and people thrive.” Winners are selected by past recipients and each receives a $7,500 grant to give to a nonprofit of their choice.

“Each of these individuals exemplify the power of dedication and leadership in dismantling racism and building a more equitable Minnesota,” Eric Jolly, the foundation’s CEO, said in a statement.

This year’s recipients are:

  • Ma Elena Gutierrez, executive director of Fe y Justicia, a Waite Park, Minn., faith-based organization that serves the Latino and immigrant community in central Minnesota.
  • Tish Jones, executive director and founder of TruArtSpeaks, a St. Paul arts and culture organization that studies spoken word and hip-hop culture.
  • Jametta Raspberry, executive director of Roots for the Home Team, a St. Paul organization that mentors young Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx and LGBTQ+ people.
  • Larry Tucker, co-founder and executive director of Kente Circle, a Minneapolis African American-owned clinic that offers culturally responsive therapy.

They’ll be honored at a ceremony Sept. 26 at the Essence Event Center in St. Paul, which will be streamed online afterwards at FacingRace.org.

about the writer

Kelly Smith

Reporter

Kelly Smith covers nonprofits/philanthropy for the Star Tribune and is based in Minneapolis. Since 2010, she’s covered Greater Minnesota on the state/region team, Hennepin County government, west metro suburban government and west metro K-12 education.

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