The "Twin Cities" of Minneapolis and St. Paul have a reputation as extremely progressive cities- Democratic politics; redistributive tax policies; bike lanes and re-zoning initiatives. It's also an uncommonly beautiful metro area, with many lakes and parks, a pedestrian-friendly downtown and an undeveloped river corridor which courses between the two cities.

The eruption of unrest following George Floyd's murder in June 2020, however, laid bare the reality that the progressivism celebrated by so many has failed to materially uplift minority households at the same rate as their white counterparts. In fact, the Twin Cities has the highest discrepancy between whites and POC of any of the top 25 metro areas in the USA by population in poverty rates, home ownership, employment, and level of education. According to the Washington Post, black households earn less than half the income of white households, and redistributive tax policies and spending have not changed the reality of physical segregation and racial architecture which continues to hem minorities into clearly defined areas within the city. A series of high-profile police shootings and videotaped killings of unarmed black men only served to reinforce the notion that the city works only for the wealthy white population.

The divisions between whites and non-whites in Minneapolis can be traced, as in many American cities, to decades of racially exclusive urban policies. One way in which racism was codified was through racially exclusive housing covenants. These contracts, in place in much of America, explicitly forbade non-whites from living in certain areas of the city and accelerated a process of containment that de facto institutionalized racial divisions and prevented the building of wealth in non-white neighborhoods for decades.

The divisions between whites and non-whites in Minneapolis can be traced, as in many American cities, to decades of racially exclusive urban policies. One way in which racism was codified was through racially exclusive housing covenants. These contracts, in place in much of America, explicitly forbade non-whites from living in certain areas of the city and accelerated a process of containment that de facto institutionalized racial divisions and prevented the building of wealth in non-white neighborhoods for decades.