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History of North Minneapolis
The history of Minneapolis helps explain the diverse social and economic community that we
see today. Original residents of Minneapolis were the Native Americans, and they continued to
live in this area while the arrival of Spanish, French, English, and U.S. settlers began, all of
whom tried claiming rights to the Minnesota land (Pearson, 2010). Armed conflict erupted as
these outsiders invaded the land of the Native tribes, and in the early 1800’s, a treaty with the
Sioux was signed giving land rights to the United States (Pearson, 2010). By the 1800’s, the city
turned to a new profession: flour milling (Pearson, 2010). It was not until half a century later,
when the railroad system started to grow in 1867, that Minneapolis officially became a city
(Pearson, 2010).
In the early 20th century, North Minneapolis was a place for immigrants to come and start
new lives in an affordable setting (Ramirez-Barret, Whitham, Ruhland, & Cunningham, 2007).
As World War II broke out, many Eastern Europeans of Jewish descent arrived in Minneapolis in
hopes to escape the religious persecution they suffered back in their homelands. They were
driven into the northwestern edge of the city, and the community was eventually coined as the
Anti-Semitism capital of the nation (Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, 2012).
In 1935 a city map was designed for the future planning of neighborhood lines (Alliance for
Metropolitan Stability, 2012). North Minneapolis was labeled as the Negro Slum while higher
income neighborhoods, like those located in the area now known as Uptown, were given
prestigious names like the Gold Coast (Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, 2012). The
government was already planning ways to isolate African Americans while the Jewish
community still thrived in this area.
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In 1938, Sumner Field public housing was established (Alliance for Metropolitan Stability,
2012). Also called The Projects, this affordable housing complex was created by the government
to give residents a chance to get back on their feet financially (University of Minnesota & Urban
Research and Outreach-Engagement Center [UROC], 2011).
Comprised of mainly African American and Jewish residents, The Projects were good for
many things; It was a place for residents to meet, a comfortable community where everyone
knew each other, and it contained a recreation area that provided a safe place for people of all
ages to go to, whether or not they actually lived in the housing units themselves (University of
Minnesota & UROC, 2011).
In the recreation area associated with the Projects, people didn’t see each other as racially
different, but looked to each other as community companions. Evidence showed this in several
newspaper accounts that stated the Sumner Field and The Glenwood Projects (located in the
Harrison neighborhood) improved residents’ attitudes towards mixed-racial communities
(University of Minnesota & UROC, 2011).
By 1988, The Projects were torn down due to a lawsuit for the redevelopment of the Sumner
area (Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, 2012; University of Minnesota & UROC, 2011).
People were forced to relocate, and the neighborhood community changed drastically (University
of Minnesota & UROC, 2011).
Polluting industries were another setback for North Minneapolis. In 1920 the Warden Oil
Company, a business that recycled and refined oil, planted themselves in this area (Alliance for
Metropolitan Stability, 2012). They eventually closed 72 years later in 1992, but not after heavily
polluting the soil and water that surrounded the site (Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, 2012).
From 1950 to 1997 the Chemical Marketing Corporation, headquartered in Harrison, came into
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the community and polluted the water and soil just as the Warden Oil Company had done
(Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, 2012).
These two examples give proof of the invasive nature that polluting industries have on low-
income communities. With lack of political backing, and not enough money to fight against these
corporations, cities such as North Minneapolis are subject to dangerous levels of toxic waste.
With unavoidable pollution that flows through the neighborhood, stereotypes are formed. The
community becomes undesirable and unlivable, making it harder to bring in new residents that
don’t fall under low-income status (Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, 2012). It is almost
impossible for a community to turn this typecast around which also makes the economic base of
the neighborhood harder to improve.
When Jewish discrimination began deteriorating, many families relocated to the suburbs. The
1950’s brought further segregation as African Americans were forced into North Minneapolis
under restrictive housing, denial of bank services, and illegal restriction by real estate agents and
landlords looking to keep them out of certain neighborhoods (Alliance for Metropolitan Stability,
2012). Businesses began moving away from the cities, marginalizing the African American
community even further (Ramirez-Barret, Whitham, Ruhland, & Cunningham, 2007). With little
to no jobs available in the area and lack of good public transportation, it was difficult for many
of the North Minneapolis residents to find work (Ramirez-Barret et al., 2007).
Comparison of Demographics
The economy continued to crumble in North Minneapolis, and many of its neighborhoods
were dealing with similar hardships. To understand this economic downturn, it is helpful to focus
on a single neighborhood. Harrison, the most southern neighborhood of North Minneapolis,
stretches from Olson Memorial Highway on its north end to Glenwood Avenue on its south end,
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and Theodore Wirth Parkway on its west end to Highway 94 on its east end. It falls under the
city’s fifth ward and is governed by Blong Yang, the city council’s first Hmong-American to
represent Minneapolis (“About Blong Yang,” 2013). This neighborhood was named after
Harrison Elementary School, and the school was named after the United States’ ninth President,
William Henry Harrison (“Harrison: Location and General Characteristics,” 2011; Weeks, 2014).
Due to the marginalization created during World War II, just under 40% of Harrison’s residents
live in poverty, about 20% more than Minneapolis as a whole (Alliance for Metropolitan
Stability, 2012).
Looking at census data from the past few years shows Harrison’s characteristics compared to
those of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the U.S. There are far less people of Caucasian descent
that live in Harrison compared to these other locations. 28.9% of this neighborhood’s population
is white, while the African-American and Asian race make up about 57% (Minnesota Compass,
2011). Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the United States’ percentage of Caucasians ranges from 60-
85%, leaving 40% of Minneapolis’ residents, and 15% of Minnesota’s residents of other racial
descent (United States Census Bureau, 2010).
Harrison, in comparison to the other three locations, has the highest percentage of children
under five years but the lowest percentage of people over 85 years, and a great majority of its
residents are between 25 and 34 years (Minnesota Compass, 2011). This lack of longer life span
may be the result of health issues caused by previous pollution in the area.
Of those Harrison residents 25 years and over, only 8.9% have a Bachelor’s degree while the
other locations range from 27-32% (Minnesota Compass, 2011; United States Census Bureau,
2014). The median household income of Harrison residents is 10% lower than the median of
Minneapolis, 20% lower than Minnesota’s median, and 15% lower than the median of the United
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States (Minnesota Compass, 2011; United States Census Bureau, 2014). 43% of working
individuals in this neighborhood are only making $1,251.00-$3,333.00 a month, while 54% of
the Minneapolis working class makes over $3,333.00 (Minnesota Compass, 2011).
The percentage of households with married couples is quite a bit lower in Harrison and
Minneapolis compared to Minnesota and the U.S, and the percentage of single-person
households with children under 18 is much greater in Harrison than the other three locations
(Minnesota Compass, 2011; United States Census Bureau, 2010).
There are more residents that rent homes in Harrison than residents who own homes, but the
opposite of this is seen in Minnesota and the U.S. (Minnesota Compass, 2011; United States
Census Bureau, 2010). Housing turnover is greater in Harrison and Minneapolis than the rest of
the state and country by 10% and many housing structures contain two or more units; typical for
a community that has more renters than owners (Minnesota Compass, 2011; United State Census
Bureau, 2014). Only 4.6% of Minneapolis residents have lived in their same houses since 1969
or earlier, and 4.5% have lived there since 1970-1979 (Minnesota Compass, 2011). This shows
that residents in the city tend to relocate more than those in the suburbs, again going back to the
fact that city dwellers tend to rent in this area.
What is surprising is that Harrison and Minneapolis have a smaller percentage of vacant
homes than Minnesota does as a whole (Minnesota Compass, 2011; United States Census
Bureau, 2010). Perhaps this is the result of affordable housing projects in the city, or the
presence of CDC’s in the area.
North Minneapolis Strengths and Weaknesses
There are a variety of neighborhoods similar to Harrison that comprise North Minneapolis as
a whole, and those neighborhoods are filled with a large racial mix of residents. The notion that
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there is not one Northside community, but many, has proven to be difficult for leaders and
governmental agencies in finding the right way to serve the entire population of residents
(Ramirez-Barret, Whitham, Ruhland, & Cunningham, 2007). Yet residents still take pride in the
diverseness of their neighborhoods and believe that working with one another, no matter the age,
race or income status, is the key to positive change in North Minneapolis (Ramirez-Barret et al.,
2007).
Looking at the available assets that North Minneapolis already has is the start to creating a
strategy that can improve the quality of living in this area. By relying on their own assets, rather
than reaching out to others outside of their community, more citizens will be encouraged to
participate in making neighborhood changes while also creating relationships with others living
in their area (Mathie & Cunningham, 2003). Relying heavily on government and outside
organizational help not only weakens relationships between residents, but creates a sense of
desperation and need that makes individuals in a community feel incapable of making changes
themselves (Mathie & Cunningham, 2003).
Before a strategy is created, it is also important to look at what makes up North Minneapolis’
social fabric so they can build on their unique skills and services in hopes of finding their
community’s brand identity (Borrup, 2009). The Northside has many attributes to be proud of.
This part of the city has a small town feel, is filled with parks and play areas for families, has a
close proximity to downtown Minneapolis, contains available resources through multiple
neighborhood run organizations, and has many schools and churches (Ramirez-Barret, Whitham,
Ruhland, & Cunningham, 2007). Community strengths that stand out in North Minneapolis are
culture, youth, racial diversity, and the willingness and opportunity for organizations to connect
8. 7
with each other on community based projects (The University of Minnesota’s Office for
Business and Community Economic Development, 2006).
Yet with all of these strengths, residents in the area are still in need of resources. They feel
that small businesses like movie theatres, family restaurants, fitness centers, postal centers, and
more, must be more accessible in their neighborhoods (Ramirez-Barret, Whitham, Ruhland, &
Cunningham, 2007). There is also a concern that lack of job opportunities in the area, few youth
activities promoting positivity, negative media portrayal of the Northside, little public
transportation, and increased crime rates will continue to hinder this area (Ramirez-Barret et al.,
2007) Positive outcomes and goals for these concerns must be created.
Outcomes and Goals of North Minneapolis
Beginning with the construction of broad outcomes, then following with more specific targets
and goals, will help with the creation of a strong strategy (Borrup, 2006). After looking at the
major concerns of residents in North Minneapolis, the three broad outcomes that stand out are
decreasing poverty level, decreasing the percentage of juvenile delinquencies, and increasing
safety by decreasing the percentage of violent and non-violent crimes in the area. Quantitative
data, or tier one and two data, available to the public on a national and state level will be the
most important information in coming up with goals for these outcomes (Jackson, Kabwasa-
Green, & Herranz, 2006). In order to find out what achievable goals there are, one must first look
at where North Minneapolis’ outcomes stand in comparison to Minneapolis and the nation.
To decrease poverty levels in the Northside, there must be an increased awareness of the
businesses and organizations within this community. Through positive word-of-mouth and
marketing techniques, there will be a greater chance of bringing in more money to this area. This
will increase economic revenue resulting in increased job availability. In 2011, the percentage of
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residents with income below poverty level of North Minneapolis was at 39.8%, while
Minneapolis as a whole stood at 21.5%. (Minnesota Compass, 2011) The nation surpassed our
city by over 6% from 2008 to 2012 at 14.9% (United States Census Bureau, 2014). A strategy
must be implemented to decrease this percentage so that by 2020, a 9.8% decrease in North
Minneapolis’ poverty level will be seen, separating it from Minneapolis percentage by less than
8.5% rather than the 18.3% seen now.
In hopes of lowering the percentage of juvenile delinquencies, more awareness about
opportunities for youth involvement in community programs must be present. These programs
must be exciting and innovative to attract the children and teens of the Northside. In 2010,
Minnesota saw greater youth arrests (6,764 per 1,000 children from ages 10-17) than the nation
(4,889 per 1,000 children) (Children’s Defense Fund, 2014). In 2006 30.2% of all arrests in
North Minneapolis were made up of juveniles while only 24.8% of all Minneapolis’ arrests were
made up of juveniles (The University of Minnesota’s Office for Business and Community
Economic Development, 2006). By 2020, five years after the implementation of a new strategy
in North Minneapolis, the goal will be to decrease juvenile delinquencies in the area by 5%.
Increasing safety in North Minneapolis is crucial in turning around any negative stereotypes
that this community has. Implementing a major project into the area will give residents an
opportunity to involve themselves as key contributors to their community. Key players in
different neighborhood organizations and local businesses can also be involved in hopes that
connections will be made between them and the residents of the community. Awareness of
opportunities and ways to get involved in local organizations will increase, giving these
neighborhoods a family feel. In turn, residents will be proud of where they live and will want to
be involved in more projects leaving less time available to get involved with local crimes. This
10. 9
year the average crime incident rate per 1,000 residents in the Northside was 8.875, while
Minneapolis’ average sat at 5.445 (Palazzolo, Hinck, & Nehil, 2013). By 2020, an achievable
goal for North Minneapolis would be to drop to a 7.5 crime incident rate per 1,000 residents.
Implementation of a New Strategy
With these outcomes and goals in mind, the next step is to come up with a strategy that will
achieve these targets within five years time. Steve Harvey, the host of Family Feud, puts on an
award show once a year called the Neighborhood Awards. It is hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, but
people can vote on their favorite organizations and businesses from around the United States. It
is a great way to bring to light some of the major players in residential and city neighborhoods
that are making a difference in their community (“Voting for Steve Harvey’s,” 2014). North
Minneapolis could benefit from positive attention like this.
The plan will be to host an annual award ceremony for organizations, businesses, and people
in the area. Every year the residents of North Minneapolis can vote on their favorite arts non-
profit, grocery store, library, hair salon, restaurant, etc., in hopes that their ballots will push their
favorite places to the number one spot. Awards can be given to winners in different forms
including grants, money, certificates, plaques, and more. This will not only build civic pride in
the North Minneapolis neighborhoods, but it will shed light on many organizations that people
from other parts of the Twin Cities have never heard of, bringing in tourists and boosting the
economy of these lower income neighborhoods.
As stated before, North Minneapolis residents pride themselves on their culture, youth,
diversity, and a willingness for organizations in the area to connect with one another on
community projects. Each one of these strengths can help with the implementation of the annual
award ceremony. Specific organizations such as Juxtaposition and Capri Theater can be great
11. 10
assets to hosting the event, youth and residents of the area can take part in putting the show
together, and local business from the Northside, as well as the entire Minneapolis area, can help
sponsor and pay for the event.
The first step will be the formation of a diverse committee or board. Since North Minneapolis
is comprised of many different social demographics, it is important that this board will include
people of all races, ages, and economic levels. Ideas must be taken in from each demographic if
this strategy is to succeed.
From there, roles will be assigned and residents will create smaller, more specific committees.
Examples of these groups include a development committee, marketing committee, program
committee, etc. They will be in charge of recruiting residents to help out with their specific
committee. These residents can include friends, family, or individuals associated with a local
organization. The goal will be to involve as many locals as possible to give it that asset-based
community feel that was discussed earlier on.
Organizations in the area will be key to making this award show happen. One such
organization, Juxtaposition, is a well-respected youth arts program in North Minneapolis that
could be of great help. They can assist with creating the design and layout of the ceremony by
involving the residents and youth they serve. Not only is this creating civic pride, it’s also getting
youth off the street and involved in a community project. It is even safe to say that with the high
admiration of Juxtaposition’s services and the positive name they have made for themselves,
they will be able to easily convince other organizations in the area to partner or support the
awards event.
Capri Theater, located in North Minneapolis, could be another great asset for the event. Their
venue could be used to host the awards ceremony, and with their background in the arts, it will
12. 11
not be difficult to get them involved. What will be more difficult is addressing audiences outside
of the arts sector. Most sponsors will be for-profit businesses that can help cover costs of the
event. When people are not involved with the arts, they tend to fall back on skewed personal
experiences they may have had with this sector. It is important that the people running this event
make sure to research the audiences they will be soliciting, as well as use extensive detail in why
their money will help the strategy and what ways that this arts event will help the community as
a whole (Dwyer, 2008).
After committees are designed, assets are addressed, and funding is discussed, the challenge
will be to create an event that incorporates locals throughout the area. What individuals will be
hosting the event? Which businesses will be nominated and how will they be chosen? Who will
be invited to the event? All of these are important questions that the board and the residents of
North Minneapolis will have to answer.
Conclusion: Why This Strategy Will Help
The point of the annual awards ceremony will be to shed light on key business owners,
organizational leaders, and community members that are trying to make a difference in the
community. This will help achieve the three outcomes and goals discussed earlier. With positive
attention put on local businesses and organization in North Minneapolis, media will begin to
focus more on the progressiveness of this area, not the weaknesses that have hindered the
Northside for so long. This in turn will bring in consumers from around the Twin Cities to see
the winners of the award ceremony. With more consumers comes more money. The boost in
North Minneapolis’ economy will provide businesses with the opportunity to grow, increasing
job availability and decreasing the percentage of residents below poverty level.
13. 12
With the exciting new opportunity to be involved in an awards show, youth in the area will
want to take part. With all of the components that go into putting on a show, children and teens
should be able to find something that interests them. This extra curricular activity will take up
time that they may have had hanging out on the streets without adult supervision, leaving less of
a chance for them to get into trouble. Thus, a decrease in the percentage of juvenile
delinquencies will be seen in the Northside’s statistics.
Along with reduced juvenile crime, overall crime percentage should see a decrease as well.
Like the youth in the area, many will be spending more time on this project. Connections will be
made with local business owners, and more job opportunities will be unveiled to those without
work. The time and effort put into this project by residents will give them a sense of
accomplishment, increasing the chances that they will want to keep their neighborhood safe and
continue the positive light that was shed on it during the awards ceremony.
North Minneapolis is full of strengths and has many things to be proud of, yet it is difficult for
many to see these things with all of the negative stories being portrayed through the media. With
the annual awards ceremony strategy, a new sense of civic importance in North Minneapolis will
be unearthed. Residents will be creating better lives for themselves and their families, and people
outside of the community will have an increased interest in learning about the rich culture that
this area has to offer. The Northside will definitely see positive changes in the near future.
14. 13
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