DEED's Commitments to Racial Equity: a new blog series

Here at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), we know systemic racial inequality is one of the biggest impediments to growth in our state. By so many measures, the disparities are stunning.

30% of American Indians and 27% of Black Minnesotans are living below the poverty line in our state, compared to 7% of white Minnesotans. When it comes to home ownership (one of the central factors in generational wealth), 76% of people in the white community own their own homes, while just 25% of Black Minnesotans are homeowners. And the COVID-19 pandemic led over two-thirds of all Black workers in our labor force - and over 60% of all American Indians – to apply for unemployment insurance, with 35% of people from the white community doing the same.

Those disparities just scratch the surface. Inequality is present in so many aspects of our state’s economy. Reversing these trends is vital to meeting our agency’s mission: to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone.

Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan care deeply about inclusive economic growth and have encouraged us to meet this moment for racial equity in our economy, to build a stronger future for everyone.

That’s why DEED’s top goal in 2022 is to drive an economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth. We know progress toward racial equity doesn't require a single approach — it requires a holistic one.

To better organize our efforts at DEED, we’ve articulated our work on racial equity around five commitments:

• Drive dollars to targeted communities.

• Increase outreach and engagement.

• Reform programs to address systemic barriers.

• Make equity everyone's job.

• Change from the inside out.

Our work in each of these areas is very much in progress. We’ve got a lot of work to do. So today, we’re kicking off a series of blog posts on these five commitments to share our work with others – and hoping this approach will continue the conversation on how we can improve our agency. Today's blog focuses on the most important commitment we can make – which is to drive dollars to targeted communities.