July 10th PM

Later in the afternoon, Debra drove me to visit with her friend Hedy Tripp. Hedy coordinates a community anti-racism effort named "Create Community." Hedy invited me into her living room and began to tell me about the community work she helps to organize in St. Cloud. Hedy was confident, warm and focused as we chatted. After explain the project a little more I set the microphone up and sat back as Hedy took me back to a time in the 60’s when she lived in Singapore and was posted during the Vietnam war at the American Embassy. Inside her words I could feel the tension and anxiety created in a culture when governments fear the people they govern. Within Hedy’s story I felt the resiliency that comes after speaking your truth in a government system that stifles individuals that run contrary to the governments perspective. The root of Hedy’s story can be seen in her life’s work in St. Cloud. Singapore’s stories are now wrapped into the stories of Minnesota.

After the interview I shot some photos of Hedy in her backyard. I connected with Debra and we went out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant. We chatted about St. Cloud. She thought that St. Cloud is now 20% people who do not identify as white and this growing change in the population is changing St. Cloud.

We talked about the good and the bad possibilities that could come from this change. But we agreed, that it will eventually work itself out . In our minds, the core issue is about people building relationships with each other.

It felt great to remember the similarities in all the stories I have heard so far. It felt exciting to think that if people listen, they’ll have no problem building relationships.

After dinner, I started up my bike to head back to Minneapolis on Hwy 10. I was headed home for two days for an event for my dad and to interview my parents. I was looking forward to washing my clothes, taking a moment to rest and then getting back on the road for the second half of the trip.