James Burroughs: Doing the work

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James Burroughs seeks to strike a work-life balance between his job at Children’s Minnesota, caring for a 10-year-old daughter, and his commitment to give back.

He plays a major role at Children’s: Senior Vice President of Government Community Relations and Chief Equity and Inclusion

Officer. He’s also been deeply involved with the founding of the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE), formed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020. While no shortage of entities expressed early outrage and a desire to foster change after the tragedy, many have already left the table.

“It’s the history of this country for people to be motivated by crisis,” says Burroughs. “The closer you are to one, the more motivated people are, and the further away you get from it, the signal seems to fade.”

Through the participation of 50-plus member organizations, MBCRE has been stepping up to lead a number of initiatives, such as the First Independence Bank Deposit Challenge. The goal of it is to increase community investment in a Minority Deposit Institution that, in turn, invests in community by offering mortgages and loans.

There’s the MBCRE program with The Partnership that’s training a cohort of mid-level Black managers. And there’s a new, weekly MBCRE policy newsletter, which partners with local Black-owned press to

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From 3 community to help us identify and support children and families who stand to benefit most from the support of a Friend.”

Outcomes for Black and Indigenous children in Minnesota are some of the most inequitable in the country, particularly related to child welfare system involvement, education, access to mental health, homelessness and geographic segregation. On any given day in Hennepin County, approximately 150 children ages 4 to 6—the age at which children will enter the Friends of the ChildrenTwin Cities program—are in foster care. In 2021, 72 children ages 4 to 6 were reunified with their families. The pandemic exacerbated mental health challenges for young people across the state, with Minnesota students reporting higher rates of anxiety and depression than at any other time in history.

Family instability, trauma and behavioral health challenges are proven to affect long-term health and education outcomes for young people. Friends of the Children says it is possible to both prevent adversity and reduce the overall impact of

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From 3 delivered. Studies have proven time and time again that ‘food deserts’ - areas lacking access to affordable, nutritious foodare more likely to be located in communities of color. One study even found that one in every five Black US households is located in a food desert.

People earning a low income often have multiple jobs with long shift times, which means they do not have the time to drive to different communities to go grocery shopping. Delivery presents a much more convenient and even affordable option when you consider the opportunity cost of taking the time to shop in a different neighborhood.

Furthermore, elderly populations along with those suffering from disabilities or mobility issues, are heavily send out updates on the current Minnesota Legislative session.

IN THE BEGINNING

Burroughs was first recruited to help found the MBCRE by his colleague James Momon, who led Global Inclusion at General Mills, and is now Chief Equity Officer at 3M.

“This tragedy happened in our backyard and James said, we gotta do better in this space of diversity and inclusion,” recalled Burroughs. As colleagues, they imagined the state’s business community being more responsive to the underlying disparities that Floyd’s murder had laid bare.

Burroughs served as one of the MBCRE tri-chairs alongside allies, Reba Dominski of U.S. Bank, and Lee Anderson of General Mills. The three met weekly with other leaders from the Twin Cities as part of an allvolunteer operation. Shawntera Hardy served as interim director, until Tiffani Daniels came aboard in 2021 as managing director. She’s an executive on loan from General Mills.

“We talked about what needed to get done,” said Burroughs, “narrowing it down to philanthropy, economic development, and public safety.”

Initially, more than 70 large and small businesses and nonprofits joined the MBCRE, including Children’s Minnesota, U.S. Bank, Target and General Mills.

“One thing that stood out right away is that Minneapolis might not have looked like the best city to move to if you were Black,” Burroughs observed. “It looked trauma. The organization says two main ways recommended by experts are connecting youth to caring adults and building core life skills. Friends of the Children does both.

“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve as the chair of the board of Friends of the Children-Twin Cities. I was incredibly privileged to serve as a former Friend myself through the Friends-New York City chapter,” said Kyrra Rankine, Friends of the Children-Twin Cities Board Chair. “To see Friends of the Children open a chapter in Minnesota truly brings this full circle for me. I experienced firsthand the impact Friends could have on the lives of children and families who are already incredibly strong and need more support to overcome those systemic barriers that stand in their way. I’m particularly excited to be working alongside Brett – his leadership and dedication to our community will be transformative as we grow the Twin Cities chapter of Friends of the Children.”

Several notable funders and leaders in the area have been instrumental in bringing the chapter to the Twin Cities, including the Edward R. Bazinet Charitable Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Carlson Family Foundation, and the Sauer Family Foundation.

A third-party dependent on delivery to meet their daily needs. Data from the third party delivery app DoorDash showed that 13% of people who use the app to order food for delivery have a disability, chronic illness, or mobility issues. Not to mention that these deliveries often contain necessities like toilet paper or grocery items, but may also include prescription medications. This population has little to no choice but to have their products delivered, especially when it comes to essential medication. Taxing them isn’t just unfair: it’s wrong. like a concentration of Black men, mostly unarmed, had perished at the hands of local police. So potential talent might think: ‘I don’t want to come to a state where this is happening to a particular population and they’re not addressing it.’”

Another factor worth considering is how this tax will impact Minnesota’s small businesses, who are finding it more and more difficult to compete with large, corporate chains with record inflation, dismal workforce numbers, and the threat of a looming recession. Delivery allows small businesses to reach more customers, especially when they advertise on online platforms.

Burroughs said it made the coalition ask itself, “What responsibility does the MBCRE have to help improve conditions, so that Minnesota is a better place for people to move, start or continue their careers, and also feel valued?”

JOBS BUILD COMMUNITIES

“Black people with living-wage jobs contribute to the economic viability of neighborhoods, and people investing in their communities helps narrow disparities. So we said, ‘Okay, evaluation of Friends of the Children program graduates showed that:

92% of graduates go on to enroll in post-secondary education, serve our country or enter the workforce

83% of youth obtain a high school diploma or GED

93% remain free from juvenile justice system involvement

98% wait to parent until after their teen years

Before joining Friends of the Children-Twin Cities, Buckner, a thirdgeneration Minnesotan and a lifelong resident of North Minneapolis, served as the managing director for Onemn. org, a network dedicated to shared sustainable prosperity and the advancement of equity in Minnesota. During that time, Buckner helped form the Seeds To Harvest network, a program of Onemn.org that mobilized 80+ organizations and hundreds of volunteers in response to communal challenges to support children and families. Buckner’s commitment to equity, engagement, and empowerment is demonstrated through nearly 25 years of policy action to close the “gaps” that hinder the community.

Friends of the Children is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with extensive expansion efforts.

The nationwide Friends of let’s make that a priority.’”

In fact, a good number of online businesses only have online shops with no brick and mortar presence. This tax will encourage consumers to shop at conventional ‘big box’ stores to avoid added fees rather than helping struggling small businesses who need the support most.

Rep. Erin Koegel (D-39A) attempts to understand the uproar against this legislation by saying that she herself will be heavily impacted, as she admits to ordering around 5 deliveries a week from Amazon alone, which would cost her $200 annually if the bill were to be implemented. But the people who will be hurt most by this aren’t state legislators, to whom losing $200 isn’t even close to a mild setback. The people hurt the most will be people from marginalized communities, people with disabilities, small business owners fighting to stay in business amidst economic insecurity: these are the people who will end up getting hurt.

The coalition has also made its presence felt at the Minnesota State Legislature, supporting such issues as raising standards for policing and speaking out in favor of the recently passed CROWN Act.

In his role at Children’s Minnesota, Burroughs is responsible for advancing equity and inclusion across the organization, as well as leading advocacy, government affairs and community relations.

One aspect of his work is Community Connect, which goes beyond the doctor’s office, to look at other determinants of health, from housing, to food security, to gun safety.

“Last year, in partnership with other community organizations, we held a successful gun buy-back the Children footprint now includes 26 chapters located in 32 sites across 19 states and Tribal sovereign nations. The organization is supported by Friends of the Children Ambassador Simone Biles program. It was an opportunity for people to turn in their firearms with no questions asked, have them disposed of by the proper law-enforcement authorities, and get a gift card,” he said, adding: “The goal there is to get more guns off the street for a safer environment.”

TIME WITH FAMILY For years Burroughs, who is a Morehouse grad and has a law degree from Georgetown University, held a variety of jobs from nonprofit general counsel, trial attorney, to being Governor Mark Dayton’s first chief inclusion officer.

Though Burroughs no longer practices law, he says, “I want to make sure that those who are underserved get served by those in political office.”

During winter months, he enjoys traveling to and recently received a $44 million gift from renowned philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Friends of the Children–Twin Cities is in the process of identifying senior leadership to work alongside its executive sunnier climates where he can get in a few rounds of golf. He also enjoys hanging out with his daughter, Teresa, who’ll turn 11 in May. She’s a fan of ice skating and drawing. “She forces me to draw with her, but she’s a much better artist than I am. We also watch a lot of Anime movies,” said Burroughs. As the ice thaws and the season transitions to spring, the third anniversary of George Floyd’s murder is fast approaching in late May. “We shouldn’t be waiting for a crisis to say, ‘Hey, this is what we need to do.’ Business should always reflect our values and our core. And yet,” he said, “sometimes it’s just true that it takes a crisis to get us going.” director and board. The organization will begin hiring Friends whose full-time jobs will be to support youth one on one in the Twin Cities area. Go to friendsofthechildren.org to learn more.

SUNDAY, MAY 14 SOUTHSIDE ACES 11:30AM

MOTHER’S DAY DINNER • KEIKO MATSUI 7PM

GOGO PENGUIN w/ special guest Melanie Charles Acoustic-Electronica Trio

MAY 6

ON & ON: JOSÉ JAMES SINGS BADU Music of Erykah Badu

MAY 8- 9

RONNIE FOSTER Organ Groove Master

MAY 11

PETER ROWAN BLUEGRASS BAND Bluegrass & Roots Legend

MAY 13

KAVYESH KAVIRAJ QUINTET Dynamic Modern Jazz

MAY 15

STORM LARGE Baddest Girl in Cabaret

MAY 7

BILLY CHILDS QUARTET feat. SEAN JONES Giant of Jazz Piano

MAY 10

SOPHIE B. HAWKINS Powerful Pop Storytelling

MAY 12

KEIKO MATSUI Euphoric Contemporary Jazz

MAY 14

KARRIN ALLYSON – BRAZILIAN NIGHTS Sass & Class Vocal Jazz

MAY 16 new businesses among all races do not receive any outside investors. Most people use the equity in their homes to start their firms. This is a huge disadvantage to Black folks in Minnesota because of the home ownership gap. Further, the report stated that minority owned businesses experience higher loan denial probabilities and pay higher interest rates than white-owned businesses even after controlling for differences in credit-worthiness, and other factors. Limited access to investment capital in its many forms is inextricably linked to systemic discrimination in lending, housing, and employment. It cripples Black business development.

2. That the Governor hold his appointed State Commissioners and the state departments they lead accountable for measurable and reportable processes and strategies to eliminate disparities that exist in and that are supported by policies and procedures of state governance.

3. That the Minnesota Legislature prioritize intentional solution making that can occur when Legislators, Committee Chairs and Committees engage Minnesota’s Black community at the table of decision.

4. Housing Invest now in multiple housing options for the Black community to close the home ownership gap.

Multiple housing options are an important part of any community. It provides a safe and affordable place for people to live and can help reduce poverty and homelessness. However, there are many challenges associated with providing low-income housing, such as limited resources, high demand, and the need to ensure that the housing is safe and secure. Minneapolis has one of the widest homeownership gaps in the country between whites and Blacks.

2. Employment Invest now in creating employment opportunities for the Black community

In an article published by the Urban Institute, the issue of Black employment was addressed.

It stated that, “while many are heralding the drop in the national Black male unemployment rate, which recently fell below 10 percent for the first time in seven years, joblessness remains much higher in many poor African American communities. It stated that for many low-income Black men, finding and keeping work is a constant struggle, never far from their minds. Black job applicants might not even make it into the queue if they have had an encounter with the criminal justice system. Helping Black folks secure steady employment at decent wages will require resources to break down the institutional barriers that separate people from decent job opportunities and to enable Black people to build the skills needed for well-paying jobs

3. Public Safety

Invest now in Public Safety in the Black community.

Public safety exists to protect citizens, organizations, and communities by preventing them from being in danger and guarding their well-being. Abraham Maslow defined safety in his famous “Hierarchy of Human Needs“. He said that to function as a society public safety is needed. He said this safety goes beyond just physical safety but also safety when it comes to health, money, possessions, and family. Less we forget, there’s an Emotional Impact on Public Safety. When folks feel unsafe, it could have major effects on individuals, their loved ones, and the community they live in. Violence has been way to prevalent in the inner cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Playgrounds are unsafe, the streets are unsafe, and the shopping malls are unsafe.

5. Education

Invest now in ensuring that our Black students are educated at the same level as White students.

Dr. Sinclair Grey lll stated that education is without a doubt crucial to the success of our students competing for jobs. Quality education that enforces and reinforces math, science, writing, and cognitive thinking will separate those who desire a prosperous future from those who are simply content with getting by. Yet, in Minnesota, reading test scores for Black students are over 20 points below state average and math test scores are 20 points below state average. Minnesota ranks 50th in the nation for Black students who graduate on time. Minnesota has one of the worst college-readiness gaps in the nation by race and ethnicity – only 25% of Black students are prepared for college. Thus, Black students who attend college must take significantly more remedial courses than their peers as their starting point.

6. Health & Wellness

Invest now in efforts that will impact the health and wellness of the Black community.

The Black community is faced with escalating social, economic, and life-style problems, which threaten the life and well-being of current and future generations of Black people in crisis proportion. The rising number of deaths due to heart disease and stroke, homicide and accidents related to substance abuse, AIDS, cancer, and infant mortality are among the leading culprits. They interfere with prospects of longevity and contribute to joblessness, poverty, and homelessness and further complicate the crisis in the Black community. The magnitude of the problems dictates the need for support from the Minnesota State Legislature.

7. Policy Each member of the legislature, regardless of political affiliation, is involved in setting public policy. These policies should reflect the will of the people and is carried out by those elected to vote. Because of conflicting interests and capacities, some policies have disenfranchised the Black community. There is therefore a need for coherence of interest/capacities in an attempt to pass policies that reflect the needs of the Black community.

Every time another national “quality of life” is broadcast or published about the best places to live in the U.S., Minnesota and the Twin Cities always rank at or near the top. The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson once referred to this as the miracle of Minneapolis.” Likewise, every time those lists are parsed out further, the state and the metro fall all the way to the bottom when it comes to quality of life measures for Black people, or, what some have called the “Two Minnesotas.” But to ensure that all those in our state have the opportunity to thrive, we cannot forget about the communities that have been systematically abused, persistently underrepresented, and long underserved.

Minnesota is now the seventh (7th) worst state in the country for Blacks to live. This dubious recognition alongside the May 2020 murder of George Floyd has brought the State into an era of racial reckoning and has put racial inequity at the center of the national conversation, and Minnesota on the racial map. Today Black folks are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to live below the poverty line. Additionally, the typical Black household earns just 63 cents for every dollar a typical white household earns, and African American workers are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as white workers.

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 24/7 Wall St. created an index to measure socioeconomic disparities between Black and white Americans to identify the worst states for Black Americans. High on the list of cities that have extremely troubling disparities is Minneapolis-St. Paul. Minnesota’s urban core boast these disturbing rates:

• Black population: 290,210 (8.2% of total)

• Black median income: $36,127 (44.0% of white income)

• Unemployment: 9.2% (Black); 3.2% (white)

• Homeownership rate: 25.2% (Black); 75.5% (white)

• Black poverty rate of 28.3% in the metro area, 5.9% (white)

• Black medium household earn $36,127 a year — the median income among white area households is $82,118.

The profound racial wealth gaps for Blacks in Minnesota is structural, as they are across the United States. Structural racism is inherent in intersecting and overlapping institutions, policies, practices, ideas, and behaviors that give resources, rights, and power to white people while denying them to others. The roots of racial wealth gaps can be traced back centuries through racialized public and private policies and practices, which fueled economic boosts to white families that allowed for intergenerational wealth transfers and created barriers to Black families. Past discrimination and injustices accumulate and build across generations, making it hard for communities that have been harmed to catch up. As one example, the losses from unpaid wages and lost inheritances to Black descendants is estimated at around $20 trillion today. The NAACP Twin Cities 2019 Economic Inclusion Plan states: “There are two Minnesota’s, one white, one Black – separate and unequal.”

Data from the 2019 Prosperity Now Scorecard shows that 40% of Americans are liquid asset poor—meaning they do not have enough in savings to make ends meet at the poverty level for three months ($6,275 for a family of four in 2018). This problem is even more stark when disaggregated by race. 31.7% of white households are liquid-asset poor compared to over 62% of Black households.

Recent trends in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties are moving in the wrong direction. The share of Black families who own a home has declined from 31 percent in 2000 to 21 percent in 2018. The racial homeownership gap in the Twin Cities is the highest in the nation and has only widened over the past two decades, especially in neighborhoods where investors have acquired hundreds of single-family homes to now use as rentals, according to a June 2021 report from the Urban Institute.