DuluthNAACP Posts

Historic Inauguration of Duluth City Councilor Janet Kennedy

Duluth’s 2020 Inauguration was historic as the city welcomed its first African-heritage person to serve on the city council. Janet Kennedy has long been serving the city as a leader in the local NAACP as its first vice president and chair for the Health & Environmental Equity Committee. Kennedy now represents District 5 in western Duluth on the council. She joins Renee Van Nett of District 4, who was part of another historic inauguration in 2018 as the council’s first Native American woman.

Duluth to Montgomery Reflections: History in Context

In the sixth episode of the “Duluth to Montgomery Reflections,” the Duluth NAACP welcomes an advocate, coordinator, and mentor from the Duluth community. Sandra Oyinloye is no stranger to facing issues of racial justice head-on, yet this trip to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice brought her into new challenges.

Duluth to Montgomery Reflections: Pondering the Past

Continuing the podcast series of “Duluth to Montgomery Reflections,” the Duluth NAACP welcomes Henry Banks, host of the Twin Ports-focused “People of Color” program on Wisconsin Public Radio. Banks meets with Ivy Vainio to discuss the various assumptions around the Civil Rights movement.

A Duluth to be Proud Of

“I remember the young people on the trip who said, ‘How come we’re not learning this in school? How come we didn’t know that this had happened?’ …it’s an American story.” –Carl Crawford – Human Rights Officer, Duluth to Montgomery Reflections.

We Duluthians are a proud people. We’re proud of our cityscape and the landscape around us. We’re proud of our ability to withstand the cold, even as we complain about it. We’re proud of our ability to move forward, as Mayor Emily Larson expressed in her open letter to the Rolling Stones this past summer. We Duluthians pride ourselves in the fact that we don’t hide from issues but rather actively engage with them. It was this Duluth pride that prompted a new, local podcast from the NAACP.