A Human Rights Platform We Can All Agree On
The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde Defines a Pathway
The 2026 Human Rights Awards Dinner
On Thursday, June 11, my editor and I had the good fortune of attending The Advocates for Human Rights Awards Dinner. The event was inspiring, especially the keynote address by Reverend Budde. Budde was one of the hundred spiritual and faith leaders who knelt during a peaceful protest at the airport in -40 temperatures to alert the world to the illegal ICE tactics. She did an excellent job describing the contributions made by Don & Arvonne Fraser and the significance of the award she received. She spoke about their contributions to progressive leadership and the ongoing work of The Advocates for Human Rights. We haven’t read her book, How We Learn to Be Brave, but it made us want to read it. In the book and at the event, she describes the moments in our lives when we must act with courage and what can be accomplished when we do.
What struck us most was the idea that everyday people, as demonstrated during the resistance to Operation Metro Surge, can come together and be a force for positive change. Each small act adds up and what we might not be able to gain on our own can be accomplished by a cohesive vision based on the shared value of love for our fellow human beings. It was exhilarating to watch as a handful of families donated $20,000, more donated $10,000, and a large group donated $1,000 or less. The donations were a recognition that people need support. It is evident in the work of the many volunteers who dedicated their time and expertise to helping the vulnerable. We aren’t listing all of them, but many law firms have stepped up to help immigrants navigate the legal system, including Faegre Drinker, Fredrikson & Riley, Stinson, Dorsey & Whitney, Robins Kaplan, and Jones Day, among many others.
Their work and that of countless others succeeded in showing the world the power of working together.
The In Between Conversations
When not listening to the awards and speakers, there were many conversations between the 900 attendees. When we interacted with people and they learned of the newsletter, they often asked what we thought of the $1.4 million budgeted for executive training and relationship building of the Minneapolis City Council. Many people find it difficult to understand. Our perspective is that we hope the outcome is successful. We know that relationships are challenging. It takes concerted effort to build alliances, especially when people disagree. As Reverend Budde pointed out, you can’t skip the work, you can’t assume that people will work well together. For relationships to be successful, the parties involved must be dedicated to making them work. It can be uncomfortable and awkward, but passing through those feelings is the only way to achieving our aspirations. There is no one act of love or defiance that is going to change our city, it is a group effort.
There are 400,000 people in the City of Minneapolis counting on city officials to improve their relationship. There are tens of millions of budget dollars that must be spent effectively. There are jobs and roads and revitalization efforts depending on them. If the counseling helps them put the city on a path toward growth and a more prosperous future for all residents, then it is a worthwhile investment.
The same might be said about the elections for other government offices, such as the county, state, and national positions to be determined in November. The DFL and its candidates are taking each other to task. The endorsement process will leave its bruises; some candidates will drop out, others are going to continue the bare-knuckle campaigns through the primaries in August and on to November.
What we hope happens is that the damage the intra-party fighting leaves in its wake can be repaired. If the gulf between the DSA and DSA-adjacent and the more traditional DFL continues to widen, it creates a space for Republicans to gain adherents to their decidedly anti-progressive agenda. Once the primary confetti is swept up, the DFL must do the so far unattainable, they must unite the party around a vision for the state and city that can bring us together enough to improve our schools, our economy, and the quality of life for all of us. To reach that lofty goal, the DFL must do more than attack Republicans; they must develop a vision for what they want the state and city to be. To be truly successful, they must define a future that a solid majority can get behind and support.
There is the vision, and then there is communicating the vision. If the DFL wants broader acceptance and new members, it will need to speak to the people moving furniture, preparing meals, stocking grocery shelves, and fixing broken toilets. The language of academics on Instagram Reels and political consultants must be translated. The ideas must be ones that resonate with those whose daily work doesn’t allow them to read lengthy dissertations on systematic injustice. Those have their place, but to truly inspire people, the focus must be on basics. The message must be distilled to the necessities we all require to live lives with dignity.
To learn more about the work of The Advocates for Human Rights and ways to volunteer or donate, visit theadvocatesforhumanrights.org.