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Key DEI Events

 

This is a collection of what is deemed to be events having impacts on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  

 

See the Diversity Beam for notable DEI projects. 

 

Start Date Title Description Tags
Nov 08, 2024 08:00 AM FREC 2024 Annual Overcoming Racism Conference Morning keynote speakers: Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs and Rev. Pamela Ngunjiri Afternoon breakout workshops ('rps', 'community engagement', 'openbeam', 'key', 'Diversity')
Nov 02, 2024 05:00 PM Rochester Branch of the NAACP, 2024 Freedom Fund Banquet - Let Freedom Ring Featured Entertainment and Performers: • Patricia Lacy-Aiken Renowned vocalist Patricia Lacy-Aiken, who is a seasoned vocalist with Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness, and who had a decade – long global tour with Luther Vandross as a backup singer. • LaSonya Natividad and Madison Parish Ensemble Rochester’s own LaSonya Natividad accompanied by the Madison Parish Ensemble will grace the stage, captivating audience with unique blend of jazz, blues, and a sprinkle of R&B, reflecting deep musical roots and diverse influences. • Heart & Soul Drum Academy The talented youth of the Heart & Soul Drum Academy will deliver an energetic performance of African Djembe drumming and dance, led by founder Baba Jesse Buckner. Their captivating performance showcases the beauty of culture and the power of the arts in empowering young people and community. ('diversity', 'NAACP', 'openbeam')
Nov 02, 2024 02:00 PM Journie: Selma Movie Screening and Discussions Join us for a film exploring the history of voting rights, followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from the DFL and GOP. It's a great opportunity to learn and engage in important conversations about this vital topic. Don't miss it! Journie is a nonpartisan organization committed to educating our communities about historical facts, youth development through lived experience, political agendas, resources, and the advancement of marginalized groups. ('diversity', 'governance')
Nov 01, 2024 05:00 PM Journie: Selma Movie Screening and Discussions Join us for a film exploring the history of voting rights, followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from the DFL and GOP. It's a great opportunity to learn and engage in important conversations about this vital topic. Don't miss it! Journie is a nonpartisan organization committed to educating our communities about historical facts, youth development through lived experience, political agendas, resources, and the advancement of marginalized groups. ('diversity', 'governance')
Oct 30, 2024 05:30 PM Financial Liberation Workshop Financial Literacy, Credit Counseling, Leadership, Coaching, Personal Finance ('NAACP', 'education', 'Diversity', 'Entrepreneurship')
Oct 29, 2024 02:00 PM Free Speech vs. Hate Speech: Understanding the Boundaries and Building Resilient Communities Cohosts: Winona State, RCTC: This timely event will feature two key sessions aimed at exploring the balance between free speech and hate speech, as well as the impacts of hate on marginalized communities. We will be moderating the discussions. ('diversity', 'civic engagement')
Oct 26, 2024 01:00 PM Juneteenth Reckoning with Slavery MN African American History ('diversity',)
Oct 22, 2024 12:30 PM Cradle to Career: High School Graduation Network Check-in, Announcements and Updates, Workgroups, Share, Checkout ('youth', 'c2c', 'education', 'key')
Oct 18, 2024 04:00 PM Asian Pacific Minnesotans Leadership Awards Dinner We the People: 40 Years of empowering Asian Pacific Minnesotans ('diversity', 'Asian')
Oct 17, 2024 12:00 PM Vision 2050 at Kiwanis Club of Rochester 20 minutes session with Kiwanis Day Makers: Introduction and Conversations to obtain inputs ('Kiwanis', 'vision', 'key')
Oct 15, 2024 09:00 AM Vision 2050 at Kiwanis Day Makers 20 minutes session with Kiwanis Day Makers: Introduction and Conversations to obtain inputs ('Kiwanis', 'openbeam', 'key')
Oct 14, 2024 12:00 PM Indigenous Peoples Day ('diversity',)
Oct 11, 2024 10:00 AM Oct 11, 2024 Community Co-design Setting Context: Equitable engagement and collaboration (Wafa & Chao) 15 minutes  Forms of equity  Co-design is not beginning or end of any project  Role of co-design in equity and systems approaches What ways have you seen co-design meet the semi-explicit and implicit levels of change? Describe how. What criteria/principles must be followed to ensure equity? o What ways have you seen co-design not practiced in equitable ways? What specifically was missed in that opportunity? o What strategies, approaches, and/or tools (other than co-design) help us meet the semi-explicit and implicit levels ('CMRC', 'key')
Oct 09, 2024 12:00 PM Equity Alliance Equity Series Equity Eats: Reviving Roots, Restoring Ecosystem Economies Through Indigenous Foodways In this episode we will delve into the transformative mission of the mnfoodrescue.org Equity Eats initiatives that are at the forefront of restoring and promoting regenerative food systems across Minnesota. We explore how the initiatives revive Indigenous foodways, grounded in food web design, while also honoring the rich Indigenous history in Minnesota and the First Nations' right to food sovereignty. By ('DMC', 'Diversity', 'latino', 'Entrepreneurship')
Oct 09, 2024 10:00 AM October, 2024 Coalition for Rochester Area Housing Alliance: Real Estate Stats Quarterly Real Estate Updates; West 90 Partners; Upcoming Events/Announcements ('RAF', 'housing', 'openbeam', 'key')
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Filed under: key

Two types of event information being shared in the following:

1. A list of Beam aware upcoming community events of all types. 

2. A list of noteworthy past events that have one or more of the following contents: presentation slides, video recordings as well as takeaways. 

Upcoming Events
SBDC - Financial Literacy Sep 16, 2025 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM — SBDC Offices
Hispanic Business Resource & Networking Event Sep 17, 2025 05:00 PM - 07:30 PM — 221 1st Ave. SW, 6th Floor, Rochester, MN
2025 Destination Medical Center Annual Meeting Sep 18, 2025 04:00 PM - 07:00 PM — Chateau Theater and Peace Plaza
Latino Fest Gala Sep 19, 2025 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM — Chateau Theatre
Latino Fest 2025 Sep 20, 2025 12:00 PM - 07:00 PM — Chateau Theater (Peace Plaza)
(Spanish) How to Start a Business from Scratch Sep 23, 2025 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM — 221 First Ave SW, Suite 600 6th Floor of the MNBio Business Center, Rochester MN 55902-3295
Sep 2025 DMCC Board Meeting Sep 25, 2025 09:30 AM - 12:00 PM — Mayo Civic Center 30 Civic Center Drive SE Rochester, MN 55904
Get Amped: The Basics of Electrifying Your Home By Electrify Everything MN Sep 25, 2025 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM — 4001 West River Parkway NW Suite 100 Rochester, MN 55901
Oktoberfest 2025 Presented by DBS Group Sep 27, 2025 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM — Peace Plaza
RAF - Community Grant Reviewer Orientation Sep 30, 2025 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Upcoming events…
Community News

This panel displays the latest community news. For a standalone view please click this LINK.



Building Bridges Discussions

Admin Messages

Presentation Slides for Conversations 

Last Updated September 13, 2025



Mayowood Road Redevelopment

September 10, 2025 Housing Alliance Meeting

  • Video Recording
  • Presentation Slides

Last Updated September 13, 2025



Housing as an Element of America's City for Health

DMC Housing Presentation at Rochester Housing Alliance September, 2025 Meeting 

  • Video Recording
  • Presentation Slides

Last Updated September 13, 2025



City of Rochester 2026-2027 Budget Planning

  • Sep 15, 2025 Study Session, Sep 3, 2025 Study Session;  Aug 25, 2025 Study Session; Press Release; 
  • June 23, 2025 Study Session: 2026 Capital Improvement Plan & Outside Agency Funding Budget Update
  • May 27, 2025 City Council Study Session ; Apr 28, 2025 City Council Study Session Material 
  • Press Release: The City of Rochester is beginning its 2026-2027 budget process and invites residents to learn more about the factors shaping the City’s financial outlook.

Last Updated September 11, 2025



Plug into the Future: A Residential Electrification Journey

The City of Rochester is offering another set of workshops to help residents improve indoor air quality, reduce utility costs, and enhance housing safety.

Last Updated September 09, 2025



Downtown Mobility Network

Press Release: City of Rochester Launches “Reimagining Sixth Avenue W” to Reconnect Downtown Mobility Network

Last Updated September 05, 2025



Registration for the 2025 A Litter Bit Better Fall Cleanup

September 3, 2025 - ROCHESTER, MINN. – Registration is now open for the third annual A Litter Bit Better fall cleanup, continuing the effort to keep Rochester litter-free year-round. Litter collection in the fall helps prevent it from being trapped under the snow, reducing the amount of litter we see in the spring. 

Last Updated September 04, 2025



Start-up Funds for International Relates Committee

  • Request to approve $20,000 contingency to create a start-up funding for the International Relations Committee. 
  • Adjacent work streams

Last Updated September 04, 2025



Volunteer as a Community Grant Reviewer

Rochester Area Foundation (RAF) is seeking a diverse team of community reviewers to assist in reviewing nonprofit applications for our Better Communities Grants. 

Last Updated September 03, 2025



The 6th Street Sessions

Press Release: A series of conversations designed to dig into the components of 6th Street Bridge, Neighborhood Safety and Riverside Improvement project.

Last Updated September 03, 2025



2025 Maxfield Report and 2024 Housing Coalition Investments

  • 2025 Maxfield Report and Reporting
  • May 2025 Reporting on 2024 Investments: $8,491,000 supporting 11 projects totaling over $77M
  • Reference: Gemini Generated 2020-25 Maxfield Comparison Report

Last Updated September 02, 2025



2024-2025 RPS Data Analysis

2024-25 Fastbridge Data Analysis and Literacy Plan Update

PB reporting on MCA

Last Updated August 30, 2025



RPS 2025 Strategic Planning Updaters

Superintendent Goals

Strategic Planning Updaters

"Rochester Public Schools kicks off rebranding effort to gain an edge in a ‘competitive environment”

Last Updated August 30, 2025



SBDC Training Fall 2025

SBDC Admin Message; More About SBDC

Trainings: How to start a business, Financial Planning, Marketing

SBDC Hispanic Networking 

Last Updated August 29, 2025



Democracy Innovation Engagement Study

Aug 18, 2025 City Council Meeting Passed Resolution: Improve civic engagement and recognize the National Civic League's "Better Public Meetings" project as a valuable opportunity for the community to explore a diverse set of ways to connect with residents.  

Last Updated August 19, 2025



Aug 18, 2025 City Council Study Session and Council Meeting Topics

2040 City Action Plan

DMC Plan 5 Year Plan Update

Democracy Innovation 

Last Updated August 18, 2025



PS2 Comprehensive Plan - Five-Year Update

Aug 2025 P2S Public Review

Apr 14, 2025 City Council Study Session: PS2 Comprehensive Plan - Five-Year Update

Last Updated August 18, 2025



Rochester Mayor Communications

Aug 2025 Videos; Apr 2025 Mayor's YouTube Rochester Voices Channel ;  Mar 2025: City of Rochester Mayor Kim Norton to attend the National League of Cities (NLC) 2025 Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C. from March 8-12, 2025.; City of Rochester Mayor Kim Norton to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) 93rd Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Last Updated August 08, 2025



LINK - Bus Rapid Transit New Budget Increase

  • DMCC Special Board Meeting July 22, 2025 Approving Budget Increase
  • City Council July 20, 2025 New Budget Increase: A nearly $73.2 million contract for construction of key elements of Rochester’s Link Bus Rapid Transit project is spurring a call for added transit aid.
  • 2025-08-08 Updated to include PB articles

Last Updated August 08, 2025



2025 Race to Lead Survey

Building Movement 2025 Race to Lead Survey Announcement:

This survey is intended for individuals who currently work for pay at nonprofit organizations based in the U.S. or U.S. territories. Those in unpaid, volunteer or advisory roles will not meet eligibility. 

Last Updated August 06, 2025